


Lost in Time

by snapealina



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, NC-17 in one chapter the other ones are PG-13, Time-Turner, written before Remus' parents had names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 02:12:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 39,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5894137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snapealina/pseuds/snapealina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a year after Voldemort’s final downfall. After a major fight with Hermione, Ron finds a Time-Turner and accidentally travels back to 1978 where he meets an 18-year-old Remus Lupin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Lupin Big Bang on LJ in 2010.
> 
> Characters belong to JK Rowling

Ron stormed after Hermione but was met by a door slamming in his face. He really hated that she was quicker than him in every area. She really won at anything and he was getting tired of it. Life wasn’t supposed to be a contest, was it? Especially not _their_ life, together?  
  
“Hermione, please let me in.” he called outside the door.  
  
“I really can’t stand to look at you right now, Ron,” he heard her crying at the other side of the door. “Please just go away.”  
  
“I’m not going away, Hermione!” Ron stated. “We need to talk about this.”  
  
“Not right now, Ron,” Hermione answered. “Just go downstairs and stay out of my way for a couple of hours.”  
  
But Ron ignored her request. He stayed outside the door for half an hour, hoping that Hermione would come out. She didn’t, and Ron could hear her crying for at least twenty minutes before it got quiet. He suspected that she had fallen asleep and thought it was best to leave her alone for a while after all.  
  
Ron knew that this was taking its toll on the entire family. He and Hermione had just finished school and Hermione had come to the Burrow for the summer. The plan was to spend some time together and plan the wedding, but all they ever did was fight.   
  
Ever since the final battle of Hogwarts, things hadn’t been the same. Too many people they knew had died that night, and even if Harry had _supposedly_ killed Voldemort, they still couldn’t fully relax. Voldemort was supposed to be dead in 1981 as well, but he proved them wrong that time. Who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeve? The constant vigilance was tearing up their energy, and neither of them had slept properly for a year. This also led to an increase of fighting. Hermione would jump up at minor things and turning them into huge problems and Ron would not make things better by criticizing Hermione for doing so.  
  
He really needed to work things out with Hermione, he couldn’t stand it being like this. He pointed his wand at the door and whispered “Alohomora” and he heard the lock open. He opened the door carefully and found a sleeping Hermione on the bed. Her face red from crying and the corner of her eyes still wet from tears.  
  
Ron hated seeing her like this, but lately this was the state he had found her in more often than not. He sat down on the floor beside her and carefully started stroking her hair and face. Hermione started to wake up, but Ron never stopped touching her. She opened her eyes and Ron found himself face to face with a frown.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Hermione sat up. “I said I didn’t want to see you.”  
  
“I’m not leaving Hermione.” Ron stated. “We need to work this out. We can’t go around like this anymore.”  
  
“Why are you persisting on being so annoying all the time then.” Hermione sighed  
  
“ _I’m_ being annoying?” Ron couldn’t help himself. “You’re the one that’s flying off the handle for nothing. I would have thought that Harry killing You-Know-Who would make this world a better place, but I’m really not so sure anymore.”  
  
“You’re blaming Voldemort for us arguing? And you still can’t even say his name? That’s pathetic, Ron.” Hermione started yelling.  
  
“I’m not saying that! It’s just that the both of us are constantly tired, and grouchy and we have to find a way to stop this before everyone is going crazy.” Ron tried to explain.  
  
“You try to get a good night’s sleep with the nightmares that keep coming back every time I close my eyes.” Hermione started crying again.  
  
“I know, Hermione!” Ron shouted. “I have them too, remember? I can’t even close my eyes without seeing Fred’s body or Lupin or Tonks just lying there. You’re not alone in this.”  
  
“I know that, Ron,” Hermione stuttered.   
  
“Do you?” Ron asked. “Because sometimes you seem to think you’re the only one. Don’t you think the rest of us feel the same way? Haven’t you heard Mum crying every night?”  
  
Hermione just nodded. “I know, it’s just…”  
  
Ron took the chance on getting off the floor and sit next to her on the bed. He put his arm around her and she didn’t push him away. “I think we need to get away from everything for a while, don’t you” he finally asked her. “Away from everyone and to a new place we haven’t been before. To be just you and me, and no one else.”  
  
“That sounds like a good idea, Ron, but where can we go?” Hermione sobbed into his robes.  
  
“I will think of something. I promise.” He kissed her forehead.  
  
The next morning Hermione woke up finding a smiling Ron at her side.  
  
“I’ve got it,” he said proudly. “I know where we can go.”  
  
Hermione sat up. “Where?”  
  
“My grandparents owned a small cabin we could go look for. Mum says it would probably be in good shape considering my Grandfather put protective spells on everything he owned. The place hasn’t been used for years and is bound to be empty. It’s also just outside a small village, so there won’t be anyone to bother us. It’s perfect.”  
  
“An old cabin that no one has used for years? Yeah, Ron that sounds really perfect…” Hermione rolled her eyes and lay back down, pulling the covers over her head.  
  
Ron sighed. “What is wrong with it?”  
  
“If it’s so perfect, why haven’t your family or anyone else used it then?”  
  
“We’ve never had a reason to.” Ron said frankly. “It’s too small to fit my family, so we’ve never bothered. And it’s more like a get-away place, not a place you live in for a long time, so Bill or Percy would never have been interested in it either. It’s as simple as that. So do you want to go or not?”   
  
“Fine, I guess we can give it a try.” Hermione sighed, though obviously still in doubt that this was a good plan.  
  
They packed two bags with the essentials and said goodbye to the rest of the Weasleys before Apparating to the cottage.   
  
“Is _this_ what you call a romantic get-away?” Hermione looked at the rundown cabin that lacked a window and the door was practically falling off its hinges.   
  
Ron looked at it sceptically. “A little bit of magic and it will be fine. Think positive, Hermione.”  
  
“Positive? To this piece of crap? I thought the reason was to get away and relax? Not to restore an old hut and spend the rest of the summer cleaning and repairing stuff. Do you remember all the work we did at headquarters a couple of years ago?”   
  
“Yes, but that was a big house. This is just a small cabin.” Ron tried  
  
“And definitely not worth the work. I’m going back to the Burrow.”  
  
“Please, Hermione. Give it a chance. Look,” Ron pointed his wand at the door “Reparo!” and the door fell off.  
  
“That’s brilliant, Ron. Just what we needed. You screwing things up with your lousy spells and causing even more work.”  
  
“Screwing up? You still look at me that way?”   
  
“Well, look at it? You call that fixing it?”   
  
Ron hesitated. “Not exactly no, but we’ll get this thing shaped up in no time if we do it together.”  
  
“If you’ve decided that this is your mission in life, be my guest, but I’m not staying here for another second. I’m going back.” Hermione said and Disapparated.


	2. Chapter 2

“Fine,” Ron said to himself. “Who needs her? Maybe we just need some time apart. If she’s going to act this way, I don’t want to be around her anyway, she could just go around being miserable. “  
  
He walked over to the cabin and things looked even worse up close. Ron shivered as he walked through the door and straight into a spider web. Of course there had to be spiders… it was just his luck.  
  
He walked further into what he thought was a living room once and could see door on his left. He was surprised that the room was as tidy as it was, and it got his hope up a bit, maybe this was manageable after all. He located the kitchen, and had a look around. Apart from the window and a ton of dust and spider webs the room was in pretty good shape. Things really looked worse on the outside than on the inside. He guessed Grandpa Weasley hadn’t been too careful about putting protective charms on the outside as he was on the inside of this hut.  
  
Ron walked through the kitchen and found stairs leading up to the next floor, if you could call it a floor. It was a small loft room with a bed, two night tables and a dresser. Ron walked over to the bed and sat down. This room was actually kind of cosy, if only Hermione had stayed long enough to see all these things.  
  
Then an idea hit Ron. Maybe if he fixed the cabin and cleaned it he could go back and get Hermione. Then she would see that he could do things on his own and show some initiative. Maybe that would make her happy?  
  
And if that didn’t help, he would at least have a place of his own to go to now. A place to be alone. Alone. Ron had never been properly alone before. His house had always been full of people as far as he could remember, and Hogwarts hadn’t exactly been deserted either. Ron lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He was alone, for the first time in his life, and he loved it.  
  
It didn’t take long, however, before Ron started to sneeze from all the dust in the room. He really had to get started if this place would become a place to stay. He decided to start with the easiest room and took out his wand and cast a dust-removing spell he had seen his mother use.  
  
He had seen Molly use it a hundred times before, but it never looked as impressive as this. He had always thought the spell to be a bit weak because he never saw much dust flying of the cupboards and into his Mum’s wand at home, but here the dust came from everywhere in the room, and the mass was so huge it had trouble getting into the wand and formed a meter long cone of swirling dust which slowly disappeared.  
  
Ron was amazed that this little spell was so powerful and wondered why his mother did that every week instead of once every six months or so. Maybe it would have looked more impressive that way?  
  
He went down to the kitchen and found a bucket and some water. Ron transfigured a stone from the outside into a piece of soap and a branch from a nearby tree into a broom and charmed it to wash the floor.  
  
Half an hour later, Ron sat down on the bed and looked around the room. It was now completely clean, the bed was made and it smelled like pine. Ron was feeling quite happy with himself. If this room was so simple to get clean, the rest of the rooms couldn’t be much harder. It was a start, at least.  
  
He lay down on the bed once more and stared at the ceiling. He was getting pretty fond of this place. Of _his_ place. Ron smiled to himself. His place! He liked the sound of those words.  
  
Ron was getting curious to what his grandparents had in this cabin and wanted to have a look around. He opened the drawer of the table on the side of the bed. There were a lot of things in there, and Ron started loading them onto the bed.  
  
A tissue, a book called “How To Sleep When Your Husband Is Making Noises”, three quills, two empty bottles of ink, a silver ring, a tiny bit of parchment with words that was so smeared out Ron couldn’t read them and some sort of medallion shaped like an hourglass.  
  
Ron looked at the things and couldn’t help but chuckle at the book. So his Grandfather snored. He had to check out this book later, to see what crazy thing Grandma Weasley used to do to get some sleep, but the thing that got him interested was the medallion.  
  
He left it on the bed while he put the rest of the things back into the drawer. He picked up the medallion and looked at it. It was attached to a long chain and Ron put it around his neck. The chain was so long that the medallion was hanging below his heart. That didn’t seem practical, Ron thought. If anyone wanted to wear this it would just come in the way if he didn’t put it on the inside of his robes, and what was the point of a medallion if you put it on the inside of your clothes?  
  
He took it in his hand and studied it. He had a feeling he had seen a thing like this before, but couldn’t quite remember where. Ron started fiddling with the thing and noticed that the hourglass had a ring around it and that could be turned around.  
  
Then he heard a noise and jumped up from the bed. Was there someone else here?  
  
“Hermione?” Ron called as he ran downstairs. Was she back? Had she changed her mind?  
  
But Hermione was nowhere to be seen, the only thing Ron could see that could have made the sound was a bird that had found its way through the missing window but couldn’t seem to find its way back out.  
  
Ron managed to catch the bird and let it out of the window, and was glad he didn’t have to hide his disappointment to anyone. Hermione wasn’t coming back, was she?  
  
Ron still couldn’t decide if he was angry with her or just sad. He loved Hermione, but lately she had been more than impossible. Ron had to get out of the cabin. If Hermione didn’t want to see that Ron was making one hell of an effort here then so be it. Ron walked angrily into the forest right next to the cabin and just wanted to scream.  
  
He finally collapsed next to a tree and lay on his back staring at the sky. He felt his anger towards Hermione rise and rolled on to his stomach. He punched the ground in anger and felt something poking his stomach.  
  
He still had the medallion around his neck. What was this thing?  
  
Ron started to give the ring a flick. It spun around a couple of times while Ron’s mind was working hard to remember where he had seen a thing like this before. He gave the thing several flicks looking as it spun around. Ron was almost hypnotized by looking at it and kept spinning it around for a while. He was so fascinated by the look of the spinning ring and the calming sound of it so he took out his wand and charmed it to spin even faster. He closed his eyes and just listened to the thing whirling in his hand.  
  
Suddenly a thought struck him. This reminded him of that thing Hermione had kept hidden from them the entire third year. The Time-Turner. But this couldn’t be one, could it? He stopped the spell at once just to be sure.  
  
He never saw Hermione’s Time-Turner enough to study it, but it didn’t look quite like this from what Ron could remember. Besides, the Ministry controlled the use of these things and all of them were smashed during that disastrous night at the Department of Mysteries. There was no way that one was just lying around in his Grandmother’s nightstand drawer.  
  
Ron laughed at the thought. It was probably just a fake, a mock gift of some sort. Fred and George must have gotten their talent from someone in this family. He walked back to the cabin, a bit lighter at heart from thinking about his Grandparents.  
  
When he came back to the hut he noticed that something had changed. The cabin looked a lot better from the outside. The window was there, the door was on its place and the colour of the walls and roof was a lot sharper. The bushes and grass outside looked more trimmed and everything looked newer.  
  
Ron’s hope rose again. Was Hermione back? Did she come while he was in the woods and fixed the whole cabin with her fantastic magic skills?  
  
Ron picked up his pace and started running towards the cabin. “Hermione?” he called hoping that she hadn’t left already. “Hermione, are you still there?” he called as he ran up to the hut. “Where are you?”  
  
He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Ron found this weird considering he didn’t lock the door when he left. Had Hermione locked up the place and left?  
  
“Alohomora,” he pointed his wand at the door and the lock opened. He walked in and found the cabin in remarkable shape. He smiled. It couldn’t be anyone but Hermione. Maybe she was upstairs waiting for him?  
  
But Hermione was nowhere to be found this time either. Ron’s heart sank. His bag was gone too. He had left it on the floor in the living room, but it was gone now. Had Hermione taken the bag with her? What on earth would she do that for?  
  
It was beginning to get dark and Ron was getting hungry. He found some cans in the pantry that looked remarkably well and made himself a little something to eat in the kitchen, which was now spotless. He started thinking about Hermione again. What had made her leave again? She came back, but left. Why?  
  
He had tried. He really had! He tried to stay positive, but Hermione only called that being ignorant and childish. He had tried to talk to her about the nightmares, but that was always at the wrong time and wrong place. It seemed as if nothing he ever did was good enough.  
  
Maybe it was good for them to spend some time apart? Maybe everything would be fine if they just stayed out of each other’s way for a couple of days?  
  
Ron put his plate in the sink and went upstairs and went to bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Ron was awakened by the sound of a dog barking. He checked the time. How long had he been asleep? It was almost noon. Ron couldn’t remember ever sleeping this long. This was probably because of the fact that he was alone for the first time. No one was around to wake him. Ron didn’t mind that one bit. This was a holiday. He could stay in bed as long as he wanted to.  
  
But he got up and went down to the kitchen and made himself a simple breakfast. He was amazed by all the food his grandparents had stored in the pantry. The fact that it was still eatable was amazing.   
  
He wondered if there was anything to do in this place. He knew there was a village not very far from the cabin and thought he might see how long it took to walk there. He also wanted to check out the lake that was nearby. Maybe take a swim? He had all day, and only himself to answer to. Ron could get used to this.  
  
He got dressed and walked outside. It was a beautiful summer’s day and the sun had really warmed up the area, so Ron felt that the swim was not a bad idea at all. He went back into the cabin and got his trunks, a towel and an old Quidditch magazine he found in the living room. It was from 1978 but still it looked remarkably new. “Wow, Grandpa Weasley really knew his protective charms, didn’t he?” Ron said to himself. “Good thing he liked Quidditch and not Witch Weekly.”  
  
Ron put the things in a bag and headed towards the lake. It was not far from the hut and Ron could soon see the shimmering and tempting water. He came down to the water edge and wondered if there was any suitable place to go swimming. He walked along the edge for a couple of minutes before finding a beach-like place and decided to stay there.  
  
He put down his things and quickly changed into his swimming trunks. There was nobody else around, but Ron didn’t take the chance that someone might come and just as he had finished putting them on, a boy came walking past him.   
  
The brown haired boy was around his age and he merely nodded at Ron and Ron nodded back. The other boy sat down under a tree a couple of meters away from Ron and picked up a book.  
  
Ron got in the water and was surprised at the temperature. It was a lot colder than he would have imagined. Ron didn’t really feel like swimming long in the cold water and went back to his things after only a couple of minutes. He wrapped himself in the towel and his eyes fell on the boy under the tree. He looked pale and sick and had a huge scar on his face. The other boy lifted his glance and Ron looked quickly away. He didn’t want the other boy to think he was staring.  
  
Ron lied down on the towel and cast a sunscreen charm on his body before he picked up the Quidditch magazine and started flipping through the pages. It was quite amusing reading an old magazine. He found pictures of young players that he had heard of, but they hadn’t played in a long time.   
  
It didn’t take long, however, before Ron got bored. It was too quiet here. It was calming in a way of course, but Ron was used to having a lot of people around him, and that always lead to noise. Besides, the Quidditch magazine wasn’t that exciting.  
  
He looked at the boy again, who looked absolutely hypnotized by the book. The boy reminded Ron of someone, but he couldn’t quite figure out whom. He felt as if he had met this person before. But he didn’t recognize him from Hogwarts, and he had never been to this place before. He must be a Muggle, Ron thought, and he probably just looks like someone he had met some time.  
  
But the feeling that he knew this boy didn’t escape Ron and he decided to go and talk to him. If he turned out to be a stranger, so be it. Ron wouldn’t hurt getting to know a local boy anyway. He looked harmless enough.  
  
He walked over to the boy, who didn’t seem to notice that he was approaching him.  
  
“Hi,” said Ron.  
  
The boy jumped from the sound of Ron’s voice and dropped the book. “Don’t scare me like that,” the boy said with a frown on his face.  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Ron said smiling. “I just wondered what you were reading. You looked completely hypnotized by that book.”  
  
The boy tried to hide the book behind his back. “Oh it’s nothing, just a book.”   
  
Ron laughed. “It didn’t look like nothing to me.”   
  
“So you have been spying on me, is that what you are saying?” the boy looked sceptically at Ron.  
  
“No, no, no that’s not what I meant. I just saw you sitting here with that book and every time I looked over at you, you were completely mesmerized. Must be some book, that’s all.”  
  
“Well, I think so, but I doubt you will think the same.”  
  
“How can you be so sure? You don’t know me.” Ron smiled.  
  
”No, I don’t. I haven’t seen you here before, what are you doing here?”   
  
“I came yesterday, I’m here on holiday.” Ron explained.  
  
“On holiday? Here? Really? It’s a strange place to come on holiday isn’t it?” the boy wondered.  
  
“Is it? I don’t think so. I haven’t been on holiday many times before and I like it here. It’s peaceful.”   
  
“That is true,” the other boy smiled back. “There’s not much going on here.”   
  
“So are you planning on telling me what that book is about?” Ron asked.  
  
“No,” the boy answered. “You wouldn’t understand.”  
  
“Try me.” Ron insisted.  
  
“No,” the boy laughed. He looked at Ron’s magazine in his hand. “Quidditch?”  
  
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Ron quickly hid the magazine behind his back. What if this boy was a Muggle? How would he explain Quidditch?  
  
“You like Quidditch?” the boy finally asked.  
  
“Yeah?” Ron hesitated. ”You know about Quidditch?”  
  
“Of course I do, but I didn’t realize…” the boy took out the book from behind his back and showed it to Ron.  
  
“Practical Defence: The Dark Arts Outsmarted?” Ron read and sat down next to the boy. “So that’s why you didn’t want to show me. You thought I was a Muggle.” Ron laughed.   
  
“So you’re a wizard too?” the boy asked. “It’s weird that I haven’t seen you before then.”   
  
“Are you sure about that? Because I have a feeling I have seen you before somewhere.” Ron finally admitted. “I’m Ron by the way.”  
  
“Remus,” the other boy answered and it sent a shiver down Ron’s spine. “What did you say?”   
  
“Remus. Remus Lupin.” the boy repeated.  
  
“You must be joking,” Ron said.   
  
“No,” Remus said confused. “That’s my name as far as I know. So Ron, what’s your favourite Quidditch team? Please don’t tell me that you are a Cannons fan, because that is just sad.” Remus laughed.  
  
Ron was confused. Had the boy just called himself Remus Lupin? Were there more wizards called that? And why didn’t he know this boy if he was a wizard. Why hadn’t he been at Hogwarts?  
  
”Er... yes, Cannons, yes.” he stuttered.   
  
Remus started laughing and took the magazine from Ron and started to flip through it. “I must tell my friend Sirius, he would probably send you a howler for that confession.”  
  
“Sirius?” Ron was starting to freak out by this information. What was this boy playing at? Was he joking with him?   
  
“Yes, one of my best friends is a Quidditch fanatic, well two of them actually. James is one too, of course.”  
  
Ron stood up. ”Er... I have to go.” he said and turned around to leave.  
  
“Wait, don’t you want your magazine back?” Remus called after him.  
  
”Just keep it, it’s an old one anyway,” Ron answered.  
  
“Old one?” Remus laughed. ”It’s the most recent issue.”  
  
“What did you say?” Ron turned around.  
  
“It’s the newest issue. Can’t you read? It says so on the top here. June 1978.” Remus pointed at the magazine. “I know it’s like three weeks old, but calling it old would be to exaggerate wouldn’t it?”  
  
Ron walked back and grabbed the magazine. It really said 1978. But new? Ron didn’t know what to think anymore.  
  
“Er… I have to go,” he said again and ran back to the cabin with the magazine clutched in his hand.  
  
He stormed into the cabin and up to the bedroom. He grabbed the medallion he had left on the bedside table and studied it. Was it real? Had he just played around with an actual Time-Turner and travelled over twenty years back in time?  
  
No, he couldn’t have. Somebody must have played a prank on him. Or had he just met the real Remus Lupin as a teenager? The same Remus Lupin he watched die a year ago? This was just not happening.  
  
Then it dawned on him. Hermione had never been at the cabin, had she? This was just how the cabin looked like twenty-one years ago.  
  
Ron had to find out if this was real or just a dream. He poked himself with his wand, tried every spell he could think of to make sure he was awake, not poisoned and not hallucinating. There was no change.  
  
He knew of a way to check this out. He decided to walk to the nearby village to see if the rest of the people there were in 1978 or in 1999. He prayed to Merlin that it would be 1999.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron just couldn’t believe it. 1978? How could he have let this happen? He slumped down on the sofa and felt the tears press on. How could he have been this stupid?   
  
“Put a spell on a Time-Turner? Smart move, Ron!” he could almost hear Hermione’s voice telling him off.  
  
How could he ever get back? _Could_ he ever get back? Ron felt like running upstairs and find the turner to turn it forward again, but stopped himself. What if something went wrong? He didn’t know how these things worked. How would he ever get out of this mess? Ron felt completely helpless and at a loss as he drifted off to sleep, the tears still rolling down his cheek.  
  
He woke up the following morning, stiff from the uncomfortable sofa and still feeling terrible. He couldn’t stand being crammed up in this tiny cabin. He needed some air! He got up and started walking. He needed to clear his mind. But the further he walked, the more he kept thinking. And the more he thought, the more frustrated he got and walked even quicker.  
  
“Ron! Wait up!” he heard a voice call after him. He turned around. Remus. The boy was practically running to catch up with him. Ron kept walking. He had no idea what to say to the other boy so he kept walking, picking up the pace even more.   
  
“Ron, stop! I want to talk to you,” Remus called short of breath.  
  
“Not now, Remus,” Ron called back, but Remus ran after him and it didn’t take long before he had caught up with him.  
  
“Wait, Ron,” Remus panted. “I want to ask you something.”  
  
Ron gave up running away from him and stopped. “What?”  
  
“How old are you?” Remus asked.  
  
“Nineteen,” said Ron. “Why?”  
  
“Well, you seemed to be around my age, and I was wondering why I haven’t seen you at Hogwarts? If you really are a wizard, that is.”  
  
Ron hesitated. What would he tell him? He couldn’t exactly tell him the truth. That would freak the poor kid out.  
  
“Durmstrang,” Ron finally managed to stutter. “I went to Durmstrang.”  
  
“Oh, really? I didn’t know any British wizards went there. I thought everyone went to Hogwarts. You are British, aren’t you?” Remus looked at him searchingly.  
  
“Of course I am,” Ron answered quickly. “But my Dad was a teacher there, so my brothers and I went there.”  
  
“That’s fascinating. What did he teach?” Remus asked curiously.  
  
“Er… Muggle studies.” said Ron.   
  
“Really?” said Remus. “So they have Muggle studies at Durmstrang too?”   
  
Ron startled by this. Didn’t they? Where were all these answers coming from? Stop telling lies, Ron, he told himself. You are going to say something wrong soon.  
  
“Why wouldn’t they have Muggle studies?” he asked back.  
  
“Oh, I don’t know,” Remus said. “I just thought maybe they didn’t allow that because of… you know… the Dark Arts?” Remus whispered the last three words.  
  
“What?” Ron said puzzled. He really hadn’t thought this through.  
  
“I thought everyone at Durmstrang were really into Dark Arts.” Remus spoke silently.  
  
“Well some are, of course, but not everyone. It’s like Hogwarts, I guess.” Ron answered the best he could.  
  
“Like some of the Slytherins.” They said the last word in unison and smiled at each other.   
  
“So you know about Hogwarts houses then?” Remus smiled at him.  
  
“Of course I know about the houses,” Ron said. “My whole family went there.” He bit his lip just as he finished speaking. He hadn’t meant to say that.  
  
“I thought your family was at Durmstrang?” Remus looked confused.  
  
“Not I and my siblings, but my parents and grandparents all went there.” Ron explained, and sighed a bit with relief when Remus seemed to accept that.  
  
“What house were your parents in?” Remus asked.  
  
“Hufflepuff,” Ron said quickly.  
  
“I was in Gryffindor,” Remus said proudly. “What is your last name, by the way? You never told me.”  
  
“Wea…” Ron started but caught on just in time. “Wilby.”  
  
“Wilby? Never heard that name before I think. Maybe they went to school with my parents. “How old are they?”  
  
Ron gulped.   
  
“How old are yours?” Ron smiled and tried to make Remus answer first.  
  
“My Mum is 42 and Dad is 43.” Remus answered.  
  
“Oh, my parents are older. The both of them are 57.” Ron lied.  
  
“So they wouldn’t have been at Hogwarts at the same time then.” Remus seemed disappointed.  
  
“It doesn’t look that way,” Ron said with relief.  
  
“So where were you going in such a hurry?” Remus asked.  
  
“Er, just exercising,” Ron made up. “I just wanted to see the area.”  
  
“I can show you around if you want. I know every part of this place.” Remus smiled.  
  
Ron hesitated. “Er… I don’t know, Remus. I think maybe I should go back to my cabin. I’m getting quite hungry.”  
  
“Oh, ok,” Remus looked disappointed. “Where are you staying by the way?”  
  
“The cabin next to the lake,” Ron answered without thinking.  
  
“The Weasley cabin?” Remus asked.  
  
“Yeah, you know it?” Ron looked surprised.  
  
“I told you I know every part of this area.” Remus chuckled. “The Weasleys are really nice people. How do you know them?”  
  
“Er… they’re friends of my parents, I think.” Ron stuttered. “I really have to go now. I guess I’ll see you around.” Ron said as he turned around to walk back the same way he came.  
  
“Wait,” said Remus. “It will be much quicker if you go this way.” Remus pointed to the right of where he was standing.  
  
Ron turned around and looked at him. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Of course I am sure. You have no idea where you are, do you?” Remus laughed.  
  
“No,” Ron looked embarrassed.  
  
“Follow me, I’ll show you how to get home.” Remus smiled at him.   
  
Ron followed a beaming Remus. “Thanks,” Ron muttered.  
  
“No problem, Ron. I’m glad to help.” Remus smiled.  
  
They walked for about ten minutes and Ron had absolutely no idea where they were going. When he started on this “walk” he had just walked without noticing where he was going. Not the smartest move in history, he admitted and deep down he was glad that he had ran into Remus. At least he knew that he could trust him.  
  
Ron could finally see the cabin, but Remus kept walking beside him. They reached the front door and Ron was starting to get uncomfortable.  
  
“Well, thank you,” he finally said after a while with awkward silence. “I couldn’t have found this place without you. Well, I’ll see you again soon.” He turned to walk inside.   
  
Ron had a feeling Remus wanted him to invite him in, but Ron wasn’t quite ready for that yet. He didn’t have anything against Remus. He just found it hard to be around him considering the circumstances.  
  
He saw that Remus was disappointed, but didn’t dare to do anything about it right now. They said goodbye and Ron went into his cabin.


	5. Chapter 5

Ron made himself something to eat from his Grandmother’s extensive food stores and sat down at the kitchen table. He would like nothing more than to break down in front of Remus and tell him everything, how he had travelled from the future, how he had no idea how to get back and beg Remus to help him. But Remus would probably think that he was joking, or it would give him such a shock he would run away for good. Or in worst case, he would actually believe him, but that would also mean that Remus would probably start asking him all sorts of questions about the future, and Ron could just not bring himself to telling him what happens. Nor did he think he should tell him. There’s a reason that time-travelling was carefully controlled by the Ministry.   
  
But Ron had a feeling that Remus was not going to stay away from him. He had to find out how to handle him. Ron had to make up a believable story about who he was, where he came from, why he was there and every possible thing Remus could think of asking him. That was not going to be easy.  
  
Ron found a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing down all the things he could have remembered telling Remus during the afternoon. His name, his parents’ name, Durmstrang. He just hoped he remembered it all. He was a bit out of it when he made up the story and he really just hoped that Remus didn’t check up on every bit of information Ron had given him. And who knows how well he knew Ron’s Grandparents?  
  
Suddenly a thought hit Ron. What if his Grandparents showed up? They would be able to help him for sure. They must have known about the Time-Turner and therefore not being as shocked as someone from the outside would become of the fact that their Grandson had accidentally travelled back twenty-one years.   
  
Ron felt a bit lighter at heart at the possibility that he might get help without asking Remus and relaxed a bit.  
  
He wandered around the cabin looking at all the stuff his Grandparents had in there. He really hadn’t studied these things since he got there. His mind had been preoccupied with more important issues to say the least, but Ron felt that he could relax a bit more now and started checking the book shelf if there was anything interesting.   
  
He pulled out a few books that looked semi-interesting, but after flipping the pages for about five minutes he got quite bored. Books wasn’t really his thing, and the Quidditch magazines were not so interesting either, considering that he knew pretty much everything that was of importance already. The fact that the Wasps were considering signing a young talented beater called Ludo Bagman wasn’t exactly news to Ron.  
  
He started wandering about the cabin again looking for interesting things to do, but he quickly came to the conclusion that his grandparents were in fact pretty boring. The thought he had about Fred and George having their sense of humour from them was quickly replaced by them passing on their personalities to Percy  
  
Ron was bored. He was completely alone and had no idea how to get back to his own time and world, and there was nothing to do. Neither of the books in the shelf seemed to have anything about Time-Turners in them either.  
  
Ron thought he might as well would go for a walk and get to know the area a bit better so that he didn’t have to count on Remus to get home. He just hoped that he wouldn’t bump into the boy this time. _That_ would be embarrassing considering he had insisted on going home and not invited him in.  
  
Ron walked around the area for about an hour, and luckily didn’t see Remus anywhere. He ended up at the lake where he had first met Remus and sat down at the same place he had the last time. He looked at the still lake and the birds flying around him. He felt the soft breeze of the wind and heard it carefully flow through the leaves. This really was a beautiful place, and would have been a terrific place for a vacation, in 1999...   
  
The place reminded him of Ottery St. Catchpole and he felt a terrible nagging in his stomach. He really started to miss his family. He knew that he hadn’t been away that long, and he had considered it a blessing to be away from them yesterday, but that was before he knew what had happened. That he was a bit more than a little Apparating-pop away from them. He didn’t know if he would ever see them again and that thought frightened Ron more than anything. They would never know that he was gone, but he would have to be alone for 21 years if he didn’t manage to fix this.   
  
What would happen to him if he had to stay in this place for all that time? He wasn’t even supposed to be born yet... Would he have to be as careful as to not run into any members of his family, and what about running into himself when he grew up? Would he have to spend 21 years looking over his shoulder for himself?  
  
He sat there for a while, caught up in his own thoughts and didn’t notice that someone came walking up to him.   
  
“Hey, Ron. Back again, are you?” Ron jumped at the sound of the voice.  
  
“Remus, don’t scare me like that!” Ron said crossly.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Remus said embarrassed. “I didn’t mean too... I mean it’s not like I tried to sneak up on you on purpose.”  
  
“Well, you could have fooled me.” Ron said annoyed. It seemed like everywhere he went, Remus Lupin showed up. Was the boy stalking him? Ron got up and started heading towards his cabin. He didn’t turn around to see if Remus was following him.  
  
He reached the cabin after a few minutes, and to Ron’s relief, there was no knock on the door for the rest of that day.  
  
He started thinking about the way he had reacted towards Remus and felt terrible. But he was just so frustrated. He had not figured out what to tell Remus yet and everywhere he went the boy turned up. He wasn’t ready to talk to him yet and had to avoid him as long as possible. He felt sorry for the other boy. He must really be lonely, Ron thought. There is probably not that much to do around here.  
  
He sat down that evening and made the decision to find out exactly what to tell Remus and what not to tell, he couldn’t avoid the boy much longer, nor did he want to when he thought about it.   
  
From what Ron knew about Remus as a grown up, he was a person you could trust completely. And the impression Ron had gotten from him as a teenager wasn’t any different. He liked Remus and felt he deserved better than some grumpy guy showing up and ignoring him.  
  
Ron stayed up really late that night, writing his new life story. He tried to make it as close to his real life as possible, but with the necessary lies to not scare Remus away. If he had to stay in this place for a really long time, he might as well make the best out of it, but without hurting the people he met along the way.  
  
The next morning Ron packed a small bag with some food, a couple of the less boring looking books from the shelf, some magazines and some warm clothes. He went down to the lake where he had run into Remus before and sat down next to the same tree and waited. Remus would probably show up some time during the day, and when he did, Ron would be waiting with an apology.  
  
Ron sat there for a while just looking at the surroundings, thinking. But he quickly picked up one of the magazines and started reading. He must have gone through three or four of them before he realized he was hungry. He checked the time and noticed that he had sat there for almost four hours. There was still no sign of Remus.   
  
Ron ate some of the sandwiches he had made and picked up a book instead. Remus would probably come soon, Ron told himself.   
  
The clocked turned seven and there was still no sign of him. Where could he be? Why did Remus turn up every time he didn’t want him to, but the one time Ron needed to see him, he didn’t show up?   
  
Ron sat there for another two hours, but no Remus. It was getting dark, and Ron decided to call it a day. He would be back tomorrow. Remus had to be there then, wouldn’t he?  
  
Remus didn’t show up the following day either, and now Ron was getting worried. Was he avoiding him now? Had he really been that horrible? Had he managed to scare Remus away from his own favourite places? And that without telling anything about his situation. The feeling nagged Ron immensely and he just knew he had to do something about it. If Remus didn’t show up at the lake, Ron would have to go looking for him.  
  
Ron decided to go into the village the next day and ask for him. Someone there had to know where he lived at least.  
  
“Remus Lupin? I don’t think I know anyone by that name.” The young man at the grocery store answered.  
  
“You don’t?” Ron said bewildered. “This isn’t a very big town is it? He seems to know the area here pretty well, are you sure you don’t know him? A boy around my age. Brown hair, brown eyes, a bit pale, some scars on his face?”  
  
The shopkeeper only shook his head and Ron muttered a “Thank you anyway,” and went out of the shop.  
  
How could he shopkeeper not know him? Ron started to think of other places he could go to ask for Remus, but was interrupted by a person that took hold of his arm and dragged him around a corner.  
  
“How do you know Remus Lupin?” the woman asked him.  
  
Ron was confused. “Er... what?”  
  
“I heard you ask Mr Winder about Remus Lupin in there. How do you know him?” the woman continued.  
  
“Er... I ran into him by the lake the other day and a couple of other times. We’re friends.” Ron answered.  
  
“Really? Friends? But you don’t know where he is?” the woman looked sceptically at Ron.  
  
“Well, I’m new here, so we have just met, but I know him pretty well.” Ron smiled at himself for that comment. “But I don’t know where he lives, and I haven’t seen him for a couple of days, and thought I would go visit him.”  
  
“Is that so?” the woman asked. “Not many people ask about the Lupins in this town.”  
  
“Why not?” Ron asked.  
  
“You said you knew him?” the woman asked. “And you don’t understand that? Are you playing games with me, son?”  
  
Ron shook his head. “I promise. I just don’t know what you are talking about. I just know Remus. I don’t know his family.”  
  
“Well, the Lupins live quite a bit away from the town. They moved there when their son got sick as a little child. They have been keeping to themselves ever since and only comes into town when it’s absolutely necessary, and often it is just Mr Lupin we see, never the boy or the wife.”  
  
“Really?” Ron was shocked. He had no idea that Lupin lived like that.  
  
“How much do you know about the boy?” the woman asked.  
  
“Quite a lot, but not everything by the sound of it.” Ron admitted.  
  
“But you didn’t seem shocked by the information I just gave you. You know about the sickness then I take it.”  
  
“Yes I do,” Ron whispered.  
  
“Are you one too then?”  
  
“Oh, no, no, no I’m not,” Ron stated firmly.  
  
“But you are still friends with that boy?”   
  
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” Ron asked.  
  
“Where do you know the boy from?”   
  
“From school,” Ron said without thinking. He just hoped he didn’t have to run into this woman again.  
  
“School?” the woman looked thoughtful. “Where did you say you lived, son?”  
  
“I didn’t tell you.” Ron answered.  
  
“Let me guess,” the woman continued. “You live at the Weasley cabin, don’t you?”  
  
“How do you know?”  
  
“You are one too, aren’t you?”  
  
“One what?” Ron had no idea what the woman was going on about.  
  
“You know, like the Lupin boy.” The woman looked searchingly at him. “Special. From school.”  
  
“I don’t understand, I said I wasn’t like him.” Ron said, but then it hit him. She must mean a wizard, but she couldn’t ask that out loud, could she.   
  
“Oh, that?” Ron said and then lowered his voice. “Yes, I am.”  
  
“Me too,” the woman whispered and showed him a wooden stick she carried in her handbag.  
  
“You’re a witch?” Ron said.  
  
“Sch... not so loud. You don’t want the _Muggles_ to hear, would you?” the witch whispered.  
  
Ron smiled. “No, we don’t want that.”  
  
“Follow me, son. I’ll show you the Lupin house.”  
  
Ron followed the witch towards his own cabin and past the lake. They walked through a small forest and Ron could barely see a small house, completely alone on a clearing in the woods.  
  
“There you go, son.” The witch smiled. “That’s the house.” She turned around to leave.  
  
“Thank you so much,” Ron called after her, but she had already left with a pop.


	6. Chapter 6

Ron looked at the house. There were no other houses in the area, and considering what the witch had just told him, there was no wonder that Remus was so desperate to get in touch with another wizard. Ron walked slowly up to the house, swallowing a lump in his throat. He was really unsure to how this would go, but felt that he had to do it. He owed both Remus and himself that much. And a friend would be a good thing to have.  
  
He stood outside the front door and was getting ready to knock when the door suddenly opened and he stared into the face of a terrified looking woman. She jumped and slammed the door shut.  
  
Ron was equally surprised and didn’t know how to react. On an impulse he started knocking. “Mrs Lupin,” he said. “I’m here to talk to your son. Is Remus here?”  
  
No one answered. Ron knocked again. “Remus? It’s Ron. Are you there?”  
  
He heard movements inside the house and shortly after Remus opened the door and looked at him sceptically. “What are you doing here?” he asked Ron.  
  
“I came to talk to you.” Ron started but was interrupted by Remus.   
  
“Well, this is not a good time.” He said and shut the door in Ron’s face.  
  
Ron didn’t give up. He started knocking on the door. “Remus, please. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”  
  
The door flew open again. “Oh it’s important? So now I’m good enough?” he heard a voice saying from behind the door.  
  
“What do you mean?” Ron asked confused.  
  
Remus appeared from behind the door and looked angrily at Ron. “Why do you dislike me so much? You don’t know anything about me.”  
  
“I don’t dislike you, Remus.” Ron explained.  
  
“You have a weird way of showing it then,” Remus argued.  
  
“Can you please come out, or can I come in? I really need to talk to you. I want to apologize for the way I have been acting.” Ron looked really sorry, which must have worked, because Remus opened the door a bit more and nodded carefully.  
  
Ron followed Remus into a small kitchen where the woman that had opened the door quickly disappeared. “It’s okay, Mum,” Remus called after her. “He’s a wizard too, he knows about us.”  
  
The woman peaked into the kitchen, still sceptically, but she didn’t flee from the room this time but left the boys to themselves calmly.   
  
“So how did you find us?” Remus asked while starting to make some tea.  
  
“I got help from a witch in the village.” Ron answered.  
  
“What?” Remus looked shocked. “There is a witch in the village?”  
  
“Yes, she’s really nice,” Ron smiled. “I went to ask for you in the shop, but no one seemed to know who you are so I almost gave up when this strange woman grabbed a hold of me and wanted to know why I was asking. It turned out she was a witch and showed me your house.”  
  
Ron didn’t tell him anything about that she, or Ron for that matter, knew Remus was a werewolf.  
  
“I didn’t think anyone in the village knew us,” Remus said as he put two cups on the table.  
  
“Well, this woman did, but she didn’t tell me much,” Ron answered and took a sip of the hot tea.  
  
Remus sat down on the other chair. “Why did you come here?”  
  
“Because I wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way I have treated you. You have been nothing but nice to me from the second we met, and I have been such an arse.” Ron looked at the table.  
  
Remus chortled. “Yes, you have.”  
  
Ron looked up and saw into Remus’ smiling and glittering eyes and couldn’t keep himself from laughing either.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said at last. “I was just so stressed and confused and you caught me at a bad timing, that’s all. I really didn’t want to have anything to do with people, and it seemed as if everywhere I went, you turned up. And I just didn’t know what to say. I don’t hate you. I like you, but I just didn’t know how to put it nicely that I didn’t want to talk to anybody just then. And I’m only here for a while, so I really didn’t see the need to get to know anybody.” Ron felt relieved that he had finally admitted this to the other boy.  
  
Remus looked searchingly at him. “Do you mind me asking why you didn’t want to talk to anybody? Or would you run off again then?”  
  
Ron thought about it for a minute. “Well, I had just broken up with my girlfriend, or at least I think we have broken up. I’m really not that sure, to be honest. And I felt really angry and now I can’t get in touch with her.”  
  
“Why can’t you get in touch with her? Haven’t you learned to Apparate? We’re connected to the Floo and we have an owl if you need to borrow it some time.” Remus tried to help.  
  
“It’s not that simple.” Ron muttered.  
  
“Why not?” Remus asked.  
  
“It’s complicated, I can’t really tell you more than that, sorry.” Ron said.  
  
“That’s okay,” said Remus. “Just let me know if you need to borrow anything. It’s not every day I bump into another wizard in the forest, you know.”   
  
“I sort of got that,” Ron smiled back. “Don’t you have any contact with anybody?”  
  
“Of course I have, just no one in this area.” Remus explained. “I have my friends from school which I owl all the time, besides I’m only staying here for the summer too.”  
  
“Oh? Where are you going after the summer then,” Ron asked. “You have finished school right?”  
  
“Yes, I have,” Remus said proudly. “But I can’t tell you just yet what I am doing.”  
  
“Why not?” Ron asked without thinking about the case for a second.  
  
“I’m allowed to have secrets too, you know.” Remus winked at him.  
  
“Of course, I didn’t mean to pry.” Ron said.  
  
“We’ll see if I let you know later,” Remus smiled.  
  
Then an epiphany suddenly came to Ron. “The Order!” he muttered to himself.  
  
“What did you just say?” Remus looked horrified.  
  
Ron couldn’t believe how stupid he had just been. “Nothing,” he tried to cover up his mistake, but it was too late. Remus had definitely heard him.  
  
Remus lowered his voice. “How did you know?”  
  
Ron’s brain worked like it had never worked before. What would he tell him? This wasn’t exactly one of those stories he had prepared. “Er...”  
  
“How do you know about the Order?” Remus asked again.  
  
“I’ve heard about it through my... er the Weasleys. I think some of their relatives are in the Order or something.” Ron said half lying, half telling the truth.  
  
Remus rose from his seat and grabbed Ron’s hand and dragged him up from his chair. “Come with me. We can’t talk here.”  
  
Ron obediently followed Remus upstairs to his room. The room was very small, but it was not like Ron wasn’t used to that. It reminded him of how Ginny’s room looked like whenever Hermione stayed there. There were books everywhere and pieces of parchment spread out on his desk along with several quills and bottles of ink.   
  
Remus pushed Ron down on his bed and sat down on a chair facing him. “Are you joining?” Remus asked bluntly.  
  
“Me? Joining?” Ron didn’t know how to answer that. There really was no right answer to that question in his opinion.  
  
“Yes, since you knew about them, you must be considering joining.” Remus stated. “It’s either that, or you are on the other side.”  
  
“Oh, no! I’m definitely not into that stuff. Trust me!” Ron almost panicked.   
  
“Even with your Durmstrang background?” Remus asked. “Are you sure you’re not with You-Know-Who’s followers?”  
  
“Of course I’m not.” Ron said.  
  
“Like you would tell me if you were,” Remus mumbled.  
  
“Trust me Remus. I’m not!” Ron looked him straight into his eyes.  
  
“So are you joining the Order then?” Remus whispered.  
  
“Er, not at this time, no.” Ron finally decided to say.  
  
“Why not?” Remus asked him. “If you know people that are joining and as you say are definitely not on the Dark side, why aren’t you joining? We need everyone to fight him, you know.”  
  
“I know,” Ron said sadly. “But I don’t think I would be very helpful.”  
  
“That’s nonsense, I’m sure.” Remus disagreed “You have finished your N.E.W.T’s or something like that I take it?”   
  
“Yes I have.” Ron admitted. “But I don’t have any special skills or anything.”  
  
“You don’t need to have that.” Remus didn’t give up. “My friends and I are all joining, and we all have different strengths and weaknesses, although my friend Peter doesn’t seem to be very good at anything. But don’t tell him I said that.” Remus laughed. “But even he is joining.”  
  
“Yeah, that was a smart move.” Ron muttered under his breath.  
  
“What did you say?” Remus asked at once.  
  
“Oh nothing,” Ron lied. “Is it smart to join if you really don’t know anything? That’s all.”  
  
“We need everyone we can get that is on the good side.” Remus stated.  
  
“Yeah, but how do you know that everyone is on the good side?” Ron asked and regretted it at once. He really must be more careful what he was saying. He was bound to say something he shouldn’t that he couldn’t talk his way out of.  
  
“I’ve know these people for over seven years and I trust them completely. They are my best friends; don’t you think I know what side they are on?” Remus sounded annoyed.  
  
“I was just talking in general,” Ron tried to get out of this mess. “How can anyone know for sure? That was all I was wondering about.”  
  
“I guess the Order has its ways.” Remus guessed. “But think about it. We could really use you.”  
  
“I’ll think about it.” Ron said. And he _was_ going to think about it, but not because he was considering joining. It was awful enough fighting You-Know-Who one time. He had no plans to do it again.  
  
“It would be great if you joined us, Ron.” Remus smiled.  
  
“I guess,” Ron mumbled. “I notice you like reading.” Ron got up and started walking around the room, looking at all the books, desperately trying to change the direction of the conversation.  
  
“Well, yes I do.” Remus smiled. “Do you?”  
  
“Not to this extent, but I don’t mind books if they’re good.” Ron said.  
  
“What is a good book in your opinion then?” Remus asked.  
  
“Oh, I don’t know. Something funny?” Ron answered. “I like the ones that are easy to read and have a lot of action.”  
  
“Like comic books?” Remus laughed.  
  
“Yeah, I love those.” Ron said enthusiastically. “Do you have any?”  
  
Remus pulled out a box from under his bed. “Here, knock yourself out.”   
  
Ron threw himself over the box and pulled out one comic after another that he had never seen before. “This is awesome! Can I borrow some of these? There are like nothing fun to do at my grand... the cabin.”   
  
“Sure,” said Remus, and smiled while he watched the other boy pick out around twenty comic books.  
  
“Thanks,” Ron said after robbing Remus’ box completely. “I will give them back to you soon, I promise.”   
  
“No problem,” Remus smiled. “Always glad to help out a friend.”  
  
“I know,” Ron smiled back. “I’ve noticed. I don’t know how I would have gotten back to the cabin the other day if it weren’t for you. I would probably still be walking around.”  
  
Remus laughed. “Oh I don’t think you have that much lack of direction, but you would probably have used at least three times longer than we did.”  
  
“I really had no idea where I was,” Ron admitted. “And I didn’t dare to Apparate considering my mind was totally elsewhere.”  
  
“I sort of saw that,” Remus smiled. “Where were you going that day anyway?”  
  
“I was just so frustrated and tried to walk it off,” Ron mumbled. “It didn’t help much, though.”  
  
“Still frustrated?”   
  
“Yeah, but there’s not much any of us can do about it, so I decided to ignore it for a while and see what happens,” Ron lied. He really wanted all the help he could get, but felt that this was not the right time, place or maybe even person to bother with his troubles.  
  
“That sounds like a clever plan,” Remus agreed. “Maybe things will just pass?”  
  
“I hope so,” Ron said, although he knew that wasn’t true at all. It would take twenty-one years if he was waiting for that to happen. “Meanwhile, I might as well enjoy my stay here, don’t you think?”  
  
“Absolutely,” said Remus.   
  
Ron rose from the floor. “Well, I should get back to my cabin, I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just wanted to apologize and clear the air between us. Again, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I really didn’t mean to be so cross.”  
  
“It’s okay, Ron. I understand” Remus smiled. “But you don’t have to leave. Why don’t you stay for dinner?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t think that is a good idea.” Ron said. “Your Mum looked absolutely horrified when I stood at your doorstep, I don’t think she will be comfortable with me at the dining table just yet.”  
  
“Oh, she’s just not used to having people around.” Remus explained. “But she will be fine with it when I tell her who you are. I’m sure of that.”  
  
“I think I’ll still let her get used to the idea before I join you for dinner,” Ron said, although he wanted nothing more than to eat a decent meal with someone other than himself. “I’ll see you around, Remus.”  
  
“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” Remus asked at once.  
  
“No, nothing special. Why?” Ron replied.  
  
“I can give you a detailed tour of the area if you want. Just so that you can find your way home easily.” Remus laughed.  
  
“That would be great.” Ron smiled back.  
  
“Tomorrow morning by the lake then?” Remus asked.  
  
“Brilliant.” Ron answered and started walking down the stairs.   
  
He saw Remus’ mother disappearing into the kitchen as they reached the entrance hall.  
  
“Nice to meet you Mrs Lupin,” Ron called after her. “It was kind of you to let me into your home.”  
  
He never heard an answer, but Remus reassured him that she was just a bit shy and not used to new people.  
  
They said goodbye and Ron headed towards the cabin with his arms full of comic books. He actually looked forward to sitting on his bed reading now that he had some decent reading material.


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning Remus was already waiting by the lake when Ron had managed to find his way out of bed. The ability to sleep as long has he wanted to was something Ron really could get used to, but he felt a bit wary that Remus had been waiting long.  
  
Remus on the other hand showed no signs of being annoyed and smiled widely when he saw his new friend coming towards him.  
  
“There you are,” Remus smiled. “I was wondering when you would show up.”  
  
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Ron said embarrassed.  
  
“No worries,” Remus said calmly. “I just wasn’t sure if you would be here early or not, so I came straight after breakfast.”  
  
“I guessed I’m just too used to people waking me up in the morning to do it by myself,” Ron chuckled.  
  
“Big family?” Remus asked while he picked up his backpack.  
  
“Most definitely,” Ron answered.  
  
“You mentioned your brothers the other day, do you have many?” Remus wondered.  
  
“Five, and one sister.” Ron said, without thinking.  
  
“A sister as well? You didn’t mention her before.” Remus said.  
  
”Oh, didn’t I?” Ron couldn’t believe that he had slipped again. He really must be more careful. “Well, I have.” He chuckled and hoped that Remus wouldn’t think too much about the subject.  
  
But unluckily for Ron, Remus thought that a big family was one of the most fascinating things on this planet and started asking him all sorts of questions about his family. Ron tried desperately to remember what he had told Remus earlier, what he had written down that night he “made up” his life story, and tried to keep the information to a minimum and as close to the truth as possible.  
  
After walking about fifteen minutes up a hill, Remus Lupin now knew about Ron’s five brothers named Will, Chuck, Paul, Frank and George and his baby sister Jenny.   
  
Remus even learnt that they had lost Frank in a terrible accident last year, and that his twin, George took it very hard. So hard, in fact, that Ron forgot to give him a different name.  
  
Ron in return found out about Remus being an only child, something he already knew, and that his family had lived in the small house in the wood as long as Remus could remember. Ron didn’t tell him that the witch had said that they moved there when Remus got “sick” and certainly not that he knew what this “sickness” was all about.  
  
They walked and talked for a while, and Remus told Ron about Hogwarts and his best friends James and Sirius and all the weird things they used to do. He told him about James and his girlfriend Lily, about Peter and his horrible magic skills, about Gryffindor, about Dumbledore and briefly he mentioned the Order again.  
  
Ron, on the other hand, spoke as little as possible, but merely nodded and smiled at Remus’ stories.  
  
They reached the top of a mound and they could see the entire village, the lake, Remus’ house and Ron’s cabin from there. Ron was amazed by the sight of the beautiful area.  
  
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Remus smiled.  
  
“Yeah,” Ron stated.  
  
“I come up here all the time. Being here just makes me feel good, you know. Feels like I’m literally on top of the world.” Remus continued, and Ron saw his point.  
  
“It’s also the perfect place if you want to know this area. It’s like a live map. You can see everything from here and it really helps you to get a better view over where things are compared to one another.” Remus explained.  
  
“This is awesome, thanks Remus.” Ron looked amazed at the sight before him.   
  
“Come with me, I’ll show you some more cool things about this place.” Remus grabbed Ron’s arm and dragged him with him down a really steep hill. Ron almost fell over several times, while Remus manoeuvred easily between rocks, branches and little dumps in the ground.  
  
They shortly came to a small cave in the mound.  
  
“Wow,” Ron burst out as he peaked inside. Any kid who had ever built a fortress or a tree-hut would be so jealous if they had seen what Ron was looking at right now.  
  
“Welcome to my secret hide-away,” Remus said proudly.  
  
They went inside and Ron was amazed by the sight before him. This wasn’t just a stone cave; this was a castle to any kid that wanted to get away from it all for an hour or a day or so. It had a table and a chair, a sofa with blankets, a book shelf, a box of more comic books and candles all over the place.  
  
Remus took out his wand and lit every one of them.   
  
“Sit down,” Remus pointed to the sofa, and Ron did as he was told. “Want anything to drink?”  
  
“Sure,” Ron answered. All the walking had made him thirsty, so that was a very welcome offer right now.  
  
Remus opened his backpack and took out to bottles of butterbeer.  
  
“Where did you get these?” Ron asked amazed.  
  
“Oh, we have plenty in our house.” Remus answered while opening the bottles. “Dad tends to stock up on these and some other items we usually have limited access to.”  
  
Ron merely nodded as he took a sip from the bottle. He couldn’t remember butterbeer ever tasting this good before. He didn’t know if it was because he was so warm and exhausted from walking, or the fact that it was a sorely missed thing from his ordinary world, or that it was because he was in this absolutely absurd situation in a cave in 1978 with an 18 year old Remus Lupin. But Ron didn’t really care. He just decided to enjoy it. He would be stupid not to.  
  
Remus sat down next to him and lifted his bottle. “Here’s to new friends.”   
  
Ron lifted his own and nodded. “Friends,” he mumbled before taking a new sip.  
  
Remus started laughing. “You should have seen the look on your face, Ron. You look like you have died and gone to heaven or something.”  
  
“Well, if this is what heaven is like, I wouldn’t mind.” Ron just said. “What is this place, anyway,” he finally asked after savouring the taste of the cold beer for a few more moments.  
  
“It’s my own little private paradise.” Remus said proudly. “I’ve been coming here ever since I was a kid, and have brought some stuff up here now and then to keep me entertained. I like being here, away from everybody.”  
  
“I can totally understand that,” Ron reassured him.  
  
”I know I’m not really surrounded by people when I’m at home, but I love getting out of the house and away from my Mum and Dad too. I love them and all, but they are driving me crazy sometimes. Especially Mum. She just can’t stop fussing over everything and are so worried about everything, all the time. I think maybe that’s why Dad is out so much. I suspect him of having a little cave of his own somewhere.” Remus chuckled.  
  
“I don’t blame you. Or him for that matter,” Ron said. ”My Mum is the same way. I guess it’s just a Mum-thing.”   
  
“Perhaps, but I doubt that your Mum is so worried about you, as mine is about me.” Remus stated.   
  
“That might be true,” Ron agreed. “But your Mum has better reasons to worry than mine, though.”  
  
“What do you mean by that?” Remus said shocked.  
  
Ron almost bit his tongue again. He had really done it this time. “Er… considering you’re an only child, I mean.” he said quickly. ”It’s only natural that she’s really worried about her only child. My Mum has to worry about seven, sorry six. And that doesn’t leave that much to each of us. A Mum can only worry so much, right?”  
  
”I guess that’s true,” Remus said sceptically, but Ron had a feeling he didn’t buy his reasons completely.  
  
”So do you bring people up here often?” Ron asked stupidly. It was the dumbest question ever, but at least he managed to change the subject.  
  
“No, actually you are the first one that I have ever showed this to,” Remus admitted.  
  
Ron almost chocked on his butterbeer. ”I am?”  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
”Not even your Mum or Dad? Or your friends from school?” Ron asked surprised.  
  
“No, no one.” Remus said quietly. ”It’s my get-away from my parents, so showing them would be a huge mistake, and Sirius or James have never been here to visit me, so I haven’t showed them either.”  
  
“They have never been here?” Ron couldn’t believe his own ears. “Why not?”  
  
”Oh, I don’t know really. They just haven’t. I think maybe Sirius have enough with his own problems with his family. You see, his family are all manic pure-blood Slytherins and he got sorted into Gryffindor and have been the black sheep of his family for years. So finally he had it and ran away. He moved in with James for a while, so I guess the two of them have enough on their mind. Besides, my house isn’t exactly a place to invite people to, anyway.” Remus told him.  
  
Ron wanted to jump up and yell that this was just a load of crap, that their house was more than good enough, that Sirius and James were just two selfish brats for not coming to visit their friends, but he managed to bottle up the anger and just mumble a simple. “Oh, I liked your house. You should invite them over.”  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ron finally spoke. “What about local friends? Don’t you have any of those?”  
  
“No,” Remus said frankly. “The people in the village are just narrow-minded idiots and I have stayed away as much as I can. Of course I have sneaked into town when I was younger, but it wasn’t really that much fun, so I have basically grown up in this forest and this place whenever I am at home.” He pointed to the cave around him.  
  
“I see,” Ron said. ”But why did you take me here? You barely know me.”  
  
Remus hesitated for a while. “Because I like you, and I trust you.”   
  
Ron felt his face flush. “Thanks.” He mumbled.   
  
Remus laughed. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in anyway. It’s just that I’ve never met another wizard in this area before, and you seem like a really nice guy, despite when you get stressed and uncertain. I’ve just never met anyone that was a natural choice to bring up here. But I just know that you won’t say anything to anyone. Right?”  
  
Ron nodded. “Of course I won’t.”  
  
Remus smiled at him. “I knew you wouldn’t.”  
  
They sat in silence for a few moments, and although Ron felt a bit awkward at first, that feeling seized shortly. It was actually nice to just sit there. To just be. He started to understand why Remus came to this place so much. It had a calmness to it that no other place he had ever been to had had.  
  
Suddenly the silence was broken by Ron’s growling stomach, which threw the both of them into a fit of laughter.  
  
“Hungry?” Remus laughed.  
  
“Whatever gave you that idea,” Ron chuckled back. “Perhaps we should get back to civilization?”  
  
“No need for that, my friend,” Remus said and pulled out some sandwiches from his backpack.   
  
“You have really thought of everything, haven’t you?” Ron said as he threw himself over the sandwich.  
  
“Well, I knew that this would take a while, plus I didn’t know what time you were coming, so I thought it was best to be prepared.” Remus smiled and took a bite of his own food.  
  
“So what else is there to do in this place?” Ron asked after finishing his sandwich and half of Remus’.  
  
“Not much, really. There’s always swimming in the lake though. I know you have already done that, but it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of such a beautiful day would it?”  
  
“That’s true,” Ron said. But I have to get back to the cabin to get my swimming trunks then.  
  
“Sure,” Remus said and they packed up their stuff and crawled out of the cave.  
  
Half an hour later, they were outside Ron’s cabin and Ron ran quickly up to the bedroom to get his swimwear while Remus stood in the living room waiting for him.  
  
“Nice cabin,” Remus said as Ron came downstairs.  
  
“Yeah, it is. A bit quiet, though, but I’m starting to get used to that too,” Ron smiled.  
  
They went down to the lake and jumped in the water.  
  
“Last one to that rock and back is a Blast-Ended Skrewt Ron shouted and started swimming as fast as he could.  
  
“A what?” Remus tried desperately to keep up, but failed immensely. Ron swam to the rock and met a completely beaten Remus on his way back.  
  
“It’s been an exhausting day,” Remus explained and Ron just smiled as an answer. They stayed there for a while, just dipping in the water. Suddenly Ron felt something slimy stroke against his foot.  
  
He started wriggling and screamed out load. “What was that? It’s not another Giant Squid, right?”   
  
Remus only laughed, but soon saw the panic in Ron’s eyes. “No, no Giant Squid here, but it might have been an eel.”  
  
“Eel?” Ron screamed and started writhing again.  
  
“Calm down, Ron,” Remus tried to get a hold of him to calm him down, but that wasn’t easy because Ron was flinging his arms and legs everywhere and accidentally punched Remus’ nose in the process.   
  
“Ron, would you stop it!” Remus yelled angrily at the top of his voice. “Will you calm down, the eels are not dangerous, but you are!”  
  
Ron calmed down as Remus managed to get a grip on him.   
  
“Oh my god, you are bleeding.” Ron noticed Remus’ nose. “I’m so sorry!”  
  
“It’s okay Ron, just calm down.” Remus said.  
  
“But we have to get you on land and stop the bleeding.” Ron continued.  
  
“That’s probably a good idea,” Remus chuckled. “Let’s get back before the sharks notice anything.”  
  
“SHARKS?” Ron screamed again and started swimming for his life. He swam as fast as he could for a while and wondered why Remus didn’t follow. He turned around and saw the other boy laughing heartily.  
  
They both reached land after a while and threw themselves down on the two towels they had brought.   
  
Ron found a tissue in Remus’ backpack and gave it to the boy for his nose.  
  
“I’m sorry about your nose,” he said quietly.  
  
“It’s okay, Ron. It will stop soon.” Remus said as he found his wand and muttered “Episkey” while pointing it at his nose.   
  
“Now, that’s a more effective way of doing it,” Ron laughed.  
  
Remus smiled back and lay down on the towel. Ron did the same.  
  
Ron could hear Remus breathe heavily by his side.   
  
“A bit out of shape, are we?” he teased.  
  
Remus merely smiled as an answer.  
  
“I thought you were climbing the mountains like nothing every day,” Ron said and started poking Remus’ side. Remus flinched and made a weird noise.  
  
“Ticklish as well?” Ron laughed and started attacking Remus’ side again.  
  
Remus started to squirm and yelled for Ron to stop, but Ron threw himself on top of Remus and didn’t quit until he heard a sincere begging in Remus’ voice between the laughter from both. “Ron, please, I can’t take it anymore. Please stop!” Ron was now sitting on top of Remus, pinning his arms to the ground. He seized the tickling, but he didn’t move.   
  
Ron was still laughing when he looked at Remus who was now starting to regain some energy and breath. The other boy was completely exhausted from screaming and squirming, and Ron was surprised how sickly looking he was. He hadn’t noticed that about him earlier.  
  
“Ron, please?” Remus finally managed to speak. “It’s getting a bit heavy.”  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.” Ron rolled off Remus at once, a bit embarrassed about what he had just done.  
  
Remus merely smiled.   
  
“Er, perhaps we should do something else?” Ron suggested. “Something a bit less violent and exhausting.”  
  
“Actually, I think I have to get home. My Mum will start wondering where I am.” Remus rose from the towel and started to get dressed.  
  
“Okay,” Ron said. “Do you want to do something tonight then?”  
  
“Tonight isn’t a good night for me, I’m busy.” Remus said while putting on his jumper.  
  
“Busy?” Ron asked surprised. “Doing what? You told me there was nothing to do in this area.”  
  
“Well, I’m going away for a few days. Visiting family.” Remus grabbed his backpack and started walking. Ron jumped up and went after him.  
  
“Remus, hold on.” Ron called after him. “Did I do something?”  
  
“No,” Remus said. “I just have to go. See you in a few days.”


	8. Chapter 8

Ron was totally caught off guard. Had he said something wrong? Why was Remus suddenly so cold? He actually started acting like Ron had the previous days. Why was he avoiding him? Ron didn’t believe that for a second that Remus was going away, but decided to let Remus have his space and to go visit him in a few days if he didn’t meet him before that.  
  
Ron got dressed and walked back to his cabin. He made some food and sat down in the living room. What had made Remus change so suddenly? They seemed to have fun before Remus suddenly turned all weird on him. The other boy had been completely beaten after the swim, maybe Ron just didn’t realize how exhausted he really was. Maybe that’s why he went home so soon. He didn’t want Ron to know how much it affected him.  
  
Ron felt bad for teasing Remus. It was only meant to be a friendly joke and he never thought it would have such an effect on him.  
  
Ron finished his meal and did the dishes. It was dark outside now and too late for a walk to clear his mind. Although Remus had showed him this place, he still wasn’t comfortable enough to walk around after dark. That would just be stupid.   
  
Ron found some of the comic books Remus had lent him and sat down by the fireplace with a cup of tea. He knew he had to get his thoughts on another subject if he was ever going to be able to sleep.  
  
The comic books, didn’t take very long to read through, and Ron couldn’t remember any of the stories he had just read. His mind was still on Remus. What was wrong with him? He looked at the time. It was almost midnight and Ron was getting tired. He decided to try to get some sleep and hoped that his mind would give him a few moments of peace.  
  
Ron had just crawled into bed when he heard a terrible howl. He jumped up from the bed. How could he have been so thick? He threw on a bathrobe and ran outside. The air was clear and he could see the moon shining down on the beautiful moor. The full moon.   
  
Ron couldn’t believe that the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. He had heard about Remus’ transformations before, he had even witnessed one, and he knew that they were rough on him and put him out for a long time afterwards. But he had never thought about what it would be like the moments before. No wonder today’s activities had taken a toll on him.  
  
Ron sat down on a chair outside the front door and again he heard a cry from across the woods. He sound went straight to Ron’s heart. He couldn’t even imagine what his friend was going through right now. Here he was, all safe outside his cabin, and Remus was god knows where.   
  
A thought suddenly hit Ron, he had no idea where Remus was, and how he spent his nights as a werewolf. When Ron knew him from his “real” time, Remus had always had access to the Wolfsbane Potion, but this was long before Remus knew about this potion. And during his time at Hogwarts he had had the Shrieking Shack, the Forbidden Forest and later also his Animagi friends to keep him company and keep him safe.  
  
What if Remus was running around in the forest? Was that why he knew this place so well? Ron ran inside, just to be safe. Even if Remus was his only friend right now, he still wouldn’t like to run into him in his wolf form.  
  
Ron pulled up a chair to the window and opened it. If he didn’t dare to be outside, he did at least have to know that Remus was all right. Ron stayed by the window all night. Even though he after a while found out that Remus could not be running around the forest on his own he didn’t go outside again.   
  
But it wrenched his heart every time he heard the cries of the wolf. He must be locked up somewhere. Ron cursed James and Sirius for being so self-centred and couldn’t believe that they would let their friend go through this on his own. Ron felt completely helpless. He wanted nothing more than to suddenly become an Animagus and go find Remus. To keep him company, to help him through this awful night. But becoming an Animagus wasn’t exactly something one could do in minutes.  
  
What about a Patronus? Would that do any good? It was an animal. But it wasn’t a real animal, besides Ron’s voice would probably not do any good. Remus would probably not be able to understand humans anyway. Ron had really no idea how a werewolf’s mind worked.  
  
Ron didn’t sleep a second that night. Instead he stayed up, listening to Remus and trying desperately to find a way to help his new friend. Sadly he came up with nothing and after a while it was beginning to get lighter, the mood disappeared and so did the cries. The sun came up and Ron made a decision. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to Remus, but he knew that he had to go see him. If Remus knew that Ron knew about his secret, maybe there was some way to help him next time.  
  
Ron made himself some breakfast and went into the village as soon as he believed any shop to be open. He stocked up on new comic books and a huge load of chocolate. He couldn’t think of any other Muggle remedies that would be better than whatever Remus’ parents probably and hopefully already had.  
  
On his way back, he popped into his own cabin on the way to pick up his grandfather’s chess set before setting sail towards the Lupins.


	9. Chapter 9

When outside the door of the small house, Ron noticed an old shed next to the house. There were no other buildings on the property or nearby, so Ron took it that it was the place where Remus had been last night. The shed was very small and looked even worse than the Shrieking Shack. Ron swallowed a lump in his throat. He really couldn’t even imagine what Remus’ went through every month. And if Sirius and James didn’t care enough to help their friend, then Ron would!  
  
He knocked on the door and heard the whole house go silent. No one came to answer the door. He tried again, but there were no answer.  
  
“Mrs Lupin, it’s me Ron. Remus’ friend.” Ron called hoping that they would hear him. “Can you please let me in? I need to see him.”  
  
After a while he heard some noises coming from the house, the door opened barely and the shy woman peaked through a small opening. “Remus isn’t here right now, he’s away. Come back in a few days.”   
  
She was about to close the door but Ron put his foot in the opening to prevent her from doing so. “Please, Mrs Lupin. I know he’s here. Can I please see him?” Ron looked her straight into her eyes and whispered. “I know.”  
  
Mrs Lupin almost fainted by the sound of these words and Ron took advantage of her moment of unawareness and opened the door a bit more. “Please. I’m his friend. I need to see him. To see that he’s okay.”  
  
Mrs Lupin was still in shock and merely waved at the stairs. Ron thanked her and ran upstairs. Ron stopped outside Remus’ room for a second. He didn’t want to burst in and scare the other boy. Nor had he any idea what to tell him. He just felt that he had to do this. He had to see that he was okay, to let him know that he was his friend, no matter what. He had to let him know that he was not alone.   
  
Ron knocked carefully on the door, but no one answered. Ron opened the door silently and peered inside. Remus was in his bed, sleeping. Ron walked in and saw the boy covered with bandages. That broke Ron’s heart even more than the sound from last night. To actually see the shape that Remus was in right now was dreadful.  
  
Ron pulled up a chair next to Remus’ bed and sat down. He looked at the boy who was still fast asleep and knew that to wake him up would be a huge mistake. From what he knew, rest was the one thing Remus needed the most right now. Ron just had to wait for his friend to wake up on his own.  
  
He sat there, looking at the werewolf and felt the tears appear in his eyes. To think that an innocent boy like Remus had to go through this every month was unbelievable. Ron didn’t realize when he had done it, but he suddenly found himself holding Remus’ hand. Even when he realized what he had done, he still didn’t let go. He sat by Remus’ bed, holding his hand for a very long time.  
  
How long he had sat there, he couldn’t tell, because it didn’t take long before Ron started dozing off. He hadn’t slept all night, and there was something calming about the whole situation. He was at Remus’ side, being the friend he wanted to be and he saw that Remus was despite the circumstances, fine and asleep.  
  
“Ron, wake up.” Ron heard a voice whisper and felt something move under his head. “Ron, what are you doing here?”  
  
Ron opened his eyes and realized that he was still holding Remus’ hand and had fallen asleep with his head on top of their hands. He quickly let go of the hand and got up.  
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He stuttered.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Remus asked.  
  
“I came to see that you were okay. I was worried about you.” Ron answered and sat down on the chair again.   
  
Remus looked confused. “Yes, I fell pretty badly on my way home yesterday.” He lied.  
  
“No you didn’t,” Ron said calmly. He wasn’t surprised that Remus tried to cover up the truth. “You didn’t fall last night, Remus and we both know it, so you don’t have to pretend.”  
  
“How did you know?” Remus asked.  
  
“I heard you last night.” Ron merely explained.   
  
“But how?” Remus still couldn’t believe what Ron said.  
  
“I was wondering why you were so weird yesterday by the lake, and when I saw the moon and heard the cries I understood what was going on. Besides the witch in the village told me that you moved here when you got “sick” when you were little. It wasn’t really hard to understand.” Ron was relieved that he was only half-way lying. Everything he told Remus was the truth. He just left out that he knew this from before as well.  
  
Remus seemed to be too tired to discuss the matter further and just nodded. Ron put his hands in his backpack and pulled out the comic books and the chocolate.   
  
“Here, I brought you some Muggle remedies,” he said as he gave the stuff to Remus who smiled widely.  
  
“Wow, thanks, Ron!” Remus seemed extremely happy about this. “No one has ever brought me anything like this before.”  
  
“They haven’t?” Ron looked puzzled.   
  
“No, not here.” Remus continued. “No one here knows about this, and it’s only my parents that have ever seen me like this here. It was different at Hogwarts of course. James, Sirius and Peter always came to check on me there.”  
  
Ron felt his face turn red.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Remus asked.  
  
“Oh, I was just wondering why they can’t visit you here, that’s all.” Ron muttered.  
  
“Let it go, Ron. They have their own problems. Besides, I have you now.” Remus grinned, and Ron couldn’t help but smile back.  
  
“That’s true! I’ll be here!” Ron said reassuringly.  
  
Remus took a piece of chocolate and offered some of it to Ron.   
  
“How did you know that I love chocolate?” Remus asked. “Chocolate solves _everything_ , you know.”  
  
“Well, I just had a feeling you would,” Ron said as he thought about his first meeting with the werewolf.   
  
They sat there for a while, eating chocolate and looking through the comic books Ron had brought, without saying a word. Ron could see that Remus was awfully tired and thought he should get some more sleep.  
  
“I’ll let you get some rest; you look like you need it.” He said and wanted to put away the magazines.   
  
“Don’t you dare, Ron,” Remus grinned. “I’ll be fine.”  
  
Ron smiled back and knew he had no choice but sit down again and let Remus continue reading. He picked up a magazine he found next to Remus’ bed and started reading himself. It didn’t take long, however before Ron heard that the other boy’s breathing got heavier and when he looked up Remus’ eyes were closed and his mouth wide open.  
  
Ron snickered at the sight and took the comic book carefully out of Remus’ hands and put it on the night stand. He removed the rest of the chocolate bar and pulled the covers over Remus’ chest. He didn’t dare to leave, but took the magazine he had started reading and sat down in a bit more comfortable chair next to Remus’ window.  
  
It didn’t take long before both boys were asleep, and neither of them woke up before Mrs Lupin came to check up on them. She brought a tray with two cups of tea and some sandwiches.  
  
Ron woke up as soon as the woman walked through that door, and Remus followed not long after.  
  
“I thought you boys might be hungry,” she said and smiled in a way that showed Ron exactly where Remus had it from.  
  
“Ron, was it?” she looked at Ron who nodded. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”  
  
Ron nodded again and rose from his chair, yawning and wiping the sleep out of his eyes on the way.  
  
Mrs Lupin closed the door behind them and looked searchingly at Ron.  
  
“Who are you and what are you doing here? And how do you know about us and Remus?” Ron was shocked. He hadn’t expected this witch to be so straight forward. Of course he _should_ have expected this. The family lived in the middle of nowhere with no contact with other people, and suddenly a stranger showed up who seem to know a lot about them.  
  
Ron gulped. This was a time to be really careful not to slip. “Er.. I’m Ron Wilby, I’m a wizard. I’m staying in the Weasley cabin. They are friends of my parents. And I ran into Remus at the lake a few days ago.”  
  
“How did you know about Remus’ sickness?” Mrs Lupin continued. “And how did you find out where we live?”  
  
“A witch in the village showed me your house, and she mentioned that you moved here when Remus got sick. And yesterday Remus looked really sick when he left me and then I saw the moon and heard the howls and sort of figured out the rest.” Ron stuttered. He hadn’t thought that Mrs Lupin could be so scary. She was even worse than his own Mum when she interrogated anyone.  
  
“There’s a witch in the village?” Mrs Lupin looked as shocked as Remus had when Ron had told him.  
  
“Yes, she was really nice too,” Ron answered. “I thought you knew her.”  
  
“No, we don’t. What’s her name?” Mrs Lupin asked.  
  
“I don’t know, I never asked her.” Ron admitted. “But I can ask her if I see her next time I’m going into town.”  
  
“And she knew about Remus being sick?”   
  
Ron nodded.   
  
“Did she know what this sickness is?”  
  
“I think so,” Ron said. He was getting worried that he had gotten the witch into trouble and knew he had to go see her again to ask her what her connection with the Lupins were. “But she didn’t tell me exactly, so I can be wrong.”  
  
“You haven’t told me why you are here.” Mrs Lupin continued.  
  
“I came to see that Remus was okay. I was worried about him after hearing him cry and howl all night.” Ron repeated.  
  
“You heard him all night?” Mrs Lupin looked shocked.  
  
“Yes, I couldn’t exactly sleep when I knew what was going on, could I?” Ron said frankly.  
  
“Hm... I guess not.” Mrs Lupin admitted. “But what are you doing in this area? You still haven’t told me that.”  
  
“I’m just here on holiday.” Ron explained. “I needed to get away for a while, and the Weasleys told me I could borrow their cabin. It’s not any more complicated than that.”  
  
“Very well,” Mrs Lupin sighed. “Just don’t go around the village telling them about us, is that clear? And if you see that witch again tell her to keep her nose out of other people’s business.”   
  
“Of course, Mrs Lupin.” Ron answered and watched the woman go downstairs again.   
  
He opened the door to Remus’ bedroom slowly and saw that the other boy had started eating and was almost finished.  
  
“What did she want?” he mumbled through a mouth full of food.  
  
“Oh, nothing in particular,” Ron lied. “Just wanted to know who I was and what I was doing here.”  
  
“Wow, she let you of easy then.” Remus chuckled. “I would have thought she would be tying you to a chair and cast a Crucio on you by the look in her eyes when I told her about you the other day.”  
  
Ron laughed a very nervous laughter. “No, nothing like that.”  
  
“That’s good,” Remus said. “I told her you were harmless and that she should be glad I got a friend.”  
  
“Well, I guess you got to her then,” Ron put on a fake grin and walked over to his backpack he had left by Remus’ bed.  
  
“Do you want a sandwich?” Remus held out the last one to Ron.  
  
“It looks delicious, but perhaps another time.” Ron said. “I really should let you get some more rest, I feel I have been keeping you up much more than I should have today. I just had to make sure that you were okay.”  
  
“I am,” Remus smiled. “Thank you, Ron.”  
  
“No problem. That’s what friends are for, right?” Ron smiled back.  
  
“Come here,” Remus commanded and Ron walked over to his bedside. Remus put his arms out and pulled Ron towards him in a big hug. “Thank you for being my friend, Ron.” he whispered.  
  
Ron gulped. He knew Remus was probably lonely and glad to meet him, but he didn’t realize how much this had meant to him. Ron was just glad to help.  
  
“You too,” he stuttered before picking up his backpack and left the werewolf’s bedroom.  
  
Ron had a weird feeling in his stomach on the way back to his cabin. He had never felt that he had meant so much to anyone before. Not even Harry or Hermione. They had been best friends for eight years, but he had never felt that they would be completely lost without him. He had that feeling about Remus. And right now, he too would be completely lost without Remus.  
  
He came back to his cabin and made himself some sandwiches. The food Mrs Lupin had brought up had reminded Ron of how hungry he was, but he didn’t feel comfortable staying in the Lupin house after Remus’ Mum had asked all those questions. He was there for Remus’ sake, but was worried that he being there was causing more trouble than it helped the other boy. He would rather go back tomorrow to see how he was doing then.  
  
That night Ron decided to see if there was anything in those books in the living room that told him anything about werewolves. He partly regretted not finishing that essay Snape had set during third year. He believed that Hermione was the only one that ever did that assignment.   
  
He hadn’t really bothered to find out anything more about these creatures since they knew a living one... But now, the fact that he knew one had made Ron realize how little he knew, and he felt that he didn’t really know Remus if he didn’t really know what the whole werewolf thing was all about. He searched the bookshelf thoroughly and managed to find one book about magical creatures. It had at least a small chapter about werewolves, and Ron brought the book up to his bedroom, threw himself on the bed and started to read.  
  
Ron wasn’t the fastest reader in this world, and he read parts of this several times to make sure he got it all. He hadn’t noticed that it was now dark outside before he heard a tapping sound on his window. He looked up to see what it was, and saw an owl perched on the windowsill. He opened the window and let the owl in. A note was tied to its leg. Ron took the note and the owl flew over to the top of the dresser and rested there.  
  
 _Thank you_  
  
Ron read the note over and over again. There was no doubt in this world where this owl came from, and Ron smiled at the thought of Remus bothering to send him an owl just to say thank you.  
  
The owl hadn’t left, so Ron ran downstairs to get writing utensils. He took a piece of parchment and simply drew a smiley face, attached it to the owl’s leg and sent it away.  
  
It didn’t take long before the owl was back.  
  
 _Will you come over tomorrow?_  
  
Ron took out the quill again and replied.  
  
 _Sure, if you want me to._  
  
He watched the owl take off, and left the window open seeing he was getting pretty certain that it would return shortly.  
  
 _Of course I want you to. Seeing you today was the best surprise and remedy anyone could have given me. You truly are a good friend, Ron.  
Love, Remus_  
  
Ron smiled as he picked up a parchment again.  
  
 _I try to be... Thank you for being mine.  
I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope you’re up for a game of chess or something.   
Now get some rest, and let this poor owl get some too. _  
  
Ron let the owl out and closed the window. He smiled as he lay down in his bed, taking out the book again. He had just started reading about werewolf-transformations when he heard the tapping noise again. He let the poor owl in and read the note.  
  
 _Goodnight, Ron_  
  
He couldn’t help but laugh.  
  
 _Goodnight, Remus_


	10. Chapter 10

Ron was so tired he fell asleep the moment he had sent the owl on its way for the last time, and he didn’t wake up until the following morning. He ate a quick breakfast, grabbed the chess set and went to visit Remus again. He hoped Mrs Lupin was in a better mood today and that she had talked to her son instead of being worried that Ron was there to cause trouble.  
  
He knocked on the door to the house and was met by a kind looking man in his forties.   
  
“Good morning. You must be Ron.” The man said.  
  
“Er, yes, sir. Are you Remus’ father?” Ron asked, although he was pretty sure of the answer.  
  
“Indeed I am.” The man answered. “I take it you are here to see Remus?”   
  
“If I can.” Ron replied uncertain. He was worried that Remus’ father would give him another interrogation.  
  
The man, however, just opened the door and let Ron in. “Remus is in his room. I bet he’ll be happy to see you.”   
  
“Thank you, sir.” Ron said and walked upstairs.   
  
He knocked on Remus’ door and heard the other boy tell him to come in. He found Remus in his bed cheerful and looking a lot better than he did the previous day.  
  
“Hey,” Remus sang as Ron came through the door.  
  
“Hi,” said Ron and sat down on the chair next to the bed. “Are you up for a game of wizard chess today?   
  
“Cool,” Remus merely replied and sat up in his bed ready to play.   
  
Ron set up the board and the pieces who immediately started to complain about being in a strange place. When Ron tried to move the first pawn, the pawn replied only by asking Ron who he was.   
  
“Er... I borrowed it from Mr Weasley,” Ron said a bit embarrassed. He had not counted on the pieces acting up.  
  
“That’s just fine. Do you play much? I haven’t played in ages.” Remus admitted. “I used to play a bit at Hogwarts, but seventh year was very busy, and my friends aren’t exactly the chess playing kind. I played a bit with Lily, though.”  
  
“Oh,” was all Ron said to that. He wasn’t really comfortable talking about Lily or any of the other of Remus’ friends right now.   
  
Luckily for Ron, Remus got quite caught up in the game himself pretty quickly and forgot all about talking altogether. This suited Ron just fine.  
  
They played for a while, and Ron could quickly see that Remus wasn’t the worst player, but that he would still beat him easily.  
  
After beating Remus four times, it was time for lunch. Remus was feeling a bit stronger and insisted on going down to the kitchen to eat. And he also insisted that Ron would join them for lunch. He didn’t see that Ron wasn’t at all comfortable doing that, but Ron gritted his teeth and hoped that Mrs Lupin was more like Mr Lupin today, and that they wouldn’t ask him too many questions.  
  
The four of them sat around a table in the kitchen eating the soup Mrs Lupin had made. Ron admitted that it was amazing to eat a decent home cooked meal again. The attempt he made at cooking could not be compared to this.  
  
“This was really delicious Mrs Lupin,” Ron said after a while, trying to make some general conversation.  
  
“Thank you, Ron,” Mrs Lupin answered politely. “I’m glad you liked it.”  
  
“So Ron,” Mr Lupin spoke from across the table. “Remus tells me that your father is a Muggle studies teacher at Durmstrang.”  
  
“He was,” Ron said. “He’s retired now.”  
  
“Oh?” Remus’ father said. “I didn’t think he was that old from what Remus told me.”  
  
“Oh, he’s only 57, but he wanted to move back to England and spend more time with the family.” Ron lied.  
  
“That’s nice,” Remus interrupted.  
  
“Yeah, I guess so.” Ron said hoping that they would drop the subject. He wasn’t exactly comfortable sitting here lying to these nice people.  
  
“How long did he work at Durmstrang?” Mr Lupin was clearly not letting this subject go.  
  
“He started there when my oldest brother Will was 11, so it was a while.” Ron informed him.   
  
“So what made him chose Durmstrang?” Mr Lupin asked curious.  
  
“Oh, I don’t think there even was a vacant position at Hogwarts at that time, but he wanted to see the world, I guess.” said Ron.  
  
“That’s understandable, but he stayed for a long time didn’t he?” Mr Lupin wondered.  
  
“But what about your sister, Jenny? She is younger than you isn’t she? Is she still in school?” Remus asked.  
  
“No she’s only one year younger, so she finished this spring.” Ron told them.  
  
“So what do you want to be, Ron? Are you going to school this autumn?” Mr Lupin asked but was interrupted by Remus. “Stop it Dad, let the poor boy eat.”  
  
Ron smiled and silently thanked Remus for trying to stop the subject. “I’m really not sure yet. I think I will see if I could get a job somewhere for a while and I’m thinking about becoming an Auror, but I don’t know if I could get into Auror-training.”  
  
“An Auror?” Mr Lupin was suddenly interested. “We need more of those now that the dark wizards are drawing even closer. Let the professionals handle it instead of some small resistance that think they can defeat You-Know-Who by playing Aurors.”  
  
“Stop it Dad,” Remus said angrily. “I know what you think about the Order, but there are a lot of good people there. And Dumbledore is one of the most powerful wizards of all time. If anyone can beat You-Know-Who it’s him.”  
  
“I haven’t said a word against Dumbledore; I just don’t see why you have to join that gang of wannabes. You are going to get killed, or exposed.”  
  
“Exposed?” Remus yelled. “Is _that_ your biggest fear? That someone will find out that your precious son is a werewolf? If I get killed it will at least be in the middle of fighting evil, not just sitting here like a useless prat.”  
  
Remus flew up from his chair and stormed out of the kitchen. Mr Lupin merely rolled his eyes.  
  
“You’ll have to excuse Remus. He always gets a bit edgy after his transformations,” Mrs Lupin whispered to Ron who just put on a tiny fake smile and went after Remus.  
  
He found his friend just behind the shed he had most probably spent the night in a few nights ago. Remus was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall hiding his face in his hands.  
  
“Are you okay, Remus?” Ron sat down next to him.  
  
Remus didn’t answer, but Ron could see him shaking.  
  
Ron put his arm around him and lay his head on Remus’ shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. They’re parents. It’s their job to be worried and completely stupid.”  
  
Remus looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears, but a small smile appeared. “Thanks, Ron. It just seems like all they want me to do is to stay at home and be invisible to the world. Like it’s really their problem if people find out that I’m a werewolf. That’s my problem to deal with, not theirs, and if I don’t care if people know. Why should they?”  
  
“I can see why they are worried, though. But you are right. That’s up to you. It’s your life, and your decision.” Ron felt like a real grown up right now, but inside he wanted nothing more than to convince Remus not to join the Order.   
  
Although he knew that Remus would be okay the first time around, he didn’t even dare to think about what happened later on. Ron really wished that he could do something about it. To tell Remus everything that would happen and try to stop the whole thing.  
  
But he couldn’t. At least not right now. What Remus needed now was a friend, not another person that told him how to live his life. And especially not a stupid kid from the future that didn’t even know how to get back to his own time.  
  
Ron and Remus sat outside the shed for a while, Ron keeping his arm around Remus who was starting to calm down. So they just sat there in silence staring at the forest and the birds that flew by.  
  
“Do you want to go for a walk?” Remus suddenly said and got up.   
  
Ron jumped to his feet. “Are you sure you are up to that? Shouldn’t you be resting?”  
  
“I can rest later. What else is there to do in this place?” Remus said boldly. “Let’s go.”  
  
Ron followed Remus and together they walked to the lake.


	11. Chapter 11

Remus sat down by the water, and Ron did as he had done several times that day, he followed. Ron noticed that Remus was tired from walking and the stressful situation with his family, but didn’t dare to comment that. He just hoped that Remus didn’t overdo it just to provoke his parents.   
  
Suddenly Ron felt Remus’ head on his shoulder. “Thank you for being such a good friend, Ron. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Remus whispered.  
  
“Don’t mention it, Remus. You hardly know me, I’m sure you would have been fine even if I wasn’t here.” Ron laughed.  
  
“Don’t say that. I don’t want to think about it.” Remus said. “I’m glad you picked this place to go on holiday. I just wish that you could stay here, or that you would join the Order with me.”  
  
“Let’s not talk about the Order anymore today, please.” Ron begged.  
  
“Deal,” Remus agreed and put his head on Ron’s shoulder again.  
  
“Just promise me that we will always be friends, no matter what.” Remus whispered.  
  
“I promise,” Ron whispered back, an awful feeling in his stomach. How he was going to keep that promise he had no idea, but he wanted nothing more than that promise to be true.  
  
Remus lifted his head from Ron’s shoulder and smiled at him. Their eyes met and Ron noticed how happy Remus’ eyes suddenly looked. The look made him both happy and sad at the same time. Happy because Remus seemed to be happy, but sad because the thought of how desperate Remus seemed to be to make a new friend told Ron that he really was lonely.  
  
Ron was startled as he suddenly felt a pair of soft lips pressed against his own. He flinched and immediately withdrew his face away from Remus. He looked absolutely shocked, which Remus must have noticed, because the other boy jumped up.   
  
“I’m so sorry.” He said as he ran away.  
  
Ron was still trying to get a grasp on what had just happened, and Remus was out of sight before he got around to speak.   
  
“Wait, Remus.” He called after him, but the other boy was gone.  
  
What had just happened here? Had Remus Lupin just kissed him? Ron was aware that Remus really liked him, but he had always thought it was only as a friend. He didn’t know Remus was gay. He married Tonks for Merlin’s sake. The thought had never even crossed Ron’s mind.  
  
Or maybe it was just the circumstances. Remus was in a vulnerable state and Ron had been there for him. Remus must just be confused. That was probably it. Ron thought about what made Remus do such a thing and didn’t even realize that he had walked back to his cabin.  
  
Ron sat down on the sofa, still completely confused. What if Remus wasn’t confused? What if Remus actually was in love with him? This was a scenario Ron had never even dreamed would happen. How on earth would he deal with this? He loved spending time with Remus and cared a lot for the boy, but did Remus have feelings for him?  
  
Ron just couldn’t get his head around this and walked around like a zombie in his cabin for the rest of the day. He thought about Remus and what he must be feeling right now. The poor boy must think that he had done the worst thing possible and that Ron would never speak to him again.   
  
He thought about the scene leading up to the unexpected kiss. Had he done something to let Remus think that he wanted to kiss him? Had Ron somehow done anything to provoke this? He couldn’t think of anything other than the thing any other friend would do. The friendly arm was something he and Harry would have done without it ending up with kissing. However, if he had done that with Hermione things might have turned out differently. Come to think of it, it did turn out differently.   
  
The poor boy must be devastated wherever he was. Where _did_ Remus run to? He wasn’t exactly in the mood to go home the last time Ron checked, and he really wasn’t fit to run anywhere either. Ron felt really bad. What if Remus had collapsed somewhere in the forest? Then it would all be his fault. He felt responsible for the poor boy’s health and stormed out of the cabin to go look for him.  
  
He ran all the way to Remus’ house to check if he was there, but Mr Lupin hadn’t seen him since the boys had left after lunch. “I thought he was with you.” he said angrily. “That boy is in no state to go wandering around the forest.”   
  
That comment made Ron slap his head with his palm. “Of course,” he said to himself. “No worries, Mr Lupin, I think I know where he is. I’ll tell him to come right home.” Ron said to Remus’ father and ran off and up the hill to the mount.  
  
It was a bit trickier to find the cave without Remus’ help, but he managed to make his way to the secret hideaway. Ron crawled in and found Remus completely knocked out on the sofa.  
  
“Remus, are you okay?”  
  
Ron ran over to the boy and poked him gently to wake him up.   
  
“Remus, wake up.” Ron started poking a bit harder, but Remus didn’t wake up.   
  
“Remus?” Ron was beginning to panic. What had he done to the poor boy? Ron grabbed Remus’ shoulders and started shaking him lightly.   
  
“Remus, oh dear Remus. Please wake up!” Ron started crying and the most awful thought hit him: What if Remus didn’t wake up? He had to wake up. He just _had_ to! He was still breathing, but apart from that, the boy was lifeless.  
  
“Remus, please.” Ron begged as he lifted the other boy up to his chest and started rocking back and forth. Remus had to wake up. Dear, sweet Remus. He didn’t deserve this.   
  
Ron was just about to panic, when he felt the other boy move and mumble something. “Ron?” the boy whispered.  
  
Ron had never been so relieved in his life. He lay Remus carefully down on the sofa.  
  
“It’s okay, Remus. I’m here.” Ron suddenly found himself leaning down and kissing Remus. The other boy was still completely beaten, but started to return the kiss softly.   
  
Ron pulled away after a while, not sure what to do. Remus merely smiled at him, his eyes still closed. “You found me.” he whispered and put his arms around Ron’s neck.  
  
“Of course I did. You didn’t think I would let you run away like that, did you?” Ron answered. “We should get you back to your parents. You are not well.”  
  
“I feel perfectly fine. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.” Remus yawned.  
  
“A bit tired? Remus, I almost didn’t manage to wake you up. You shouldn’t be up here.” Ron insisted and started to drag the boy from the sofa.  
  
This boy had to get back to his own bed where his parents could take care of him. He managed to get him into a sitting position.   
  
“Remus! Wake up! You have to help me here.”  
  
Remus’ eyes opened a bit.   
  
“Can you stand up?” Ron asked.  
  
“No, I want to sleep.” Remus begged.  
  
“You don’t have to walk. Just stand up.   
  
He managed to get Remus into a standing position and it took all of Ron’s strength and focus to manage to Apparate them back to Remus’ house without splinching either of them.  
  
They Apparated right outside Remus’ front door.  
  
“There you go, Remus. Safely at home again.” Ron smiled at him and had just knocked on the door when Remus kissed him again.  
  
“Thank you, Ron.” Remus whispered as the door flew open and an angry Mr Lupin met them.  
  
“What is this? What have you done to him?” Mr Lupin looked livid.  
  
“I didn’t do anything. Remus chose the wrong time to play hide and seek, but I found him. I think he’s fine, just very tired. So he should really get some rest.” Ron explained and helped Remus to get inside. “So instead of blaming me you should really just take care of your son, Mr Lupin. He needs you!” Ron said angrily and left.


	12. Chapter 12

He walked home quickly and threw himself on the sofa the minute he stormed through the door. The tears streamed down his face. What the heck was happening? Ron still hadn’t gotten his mind around everything.   
  
Here he had been planning on spending a quiet day with Remus, playing chess and helping the other boy to regain strength and get well after a really rough night and he ended up upsetting an entire family and kissing another boy no less than three times. One of those times being his initiative. Why did he do that? Ron was getting as confused as he believed Remus must have been earlier that day.  
  
Why had he kissed Remus? He was extremely happy when Remus had woken up and clearly was okay, but he didn’t like Remus that way. Did he? Ron didn’t know what to believe anymore. Remus obviously liked Ron in a way he had never imagined, but Ron didn’t like boys. He loved Hermione.  
  
But right now, Ron wasn’t so sure what he felt about Hermione anymore. All they ever did was fight, and was that a way to spend the rest of your life? They had always been quarrelling, that had sort of been their thing, but lately the quarrelling had turned into full-blown arguing, and the frequency of the arguments even higher.  
  
Remus on the other hand, was a person Ron felt comfortable around. Remus didn’t pick on everything Ron ever did. Remus was grateful for having Ron there, and Ron was grateful for having Remus in his life. Remus was the only thing Ron could ever count on at this stage of his life, and he really didn’t want to lose that.   
  
However, Ron had never thought always just looked at Remus as a friend. He had never in his wildest dreams pictured them being anything else. But still he had kissed him. And as much as he hated to admit it, the two last kisses had been much better than the thousands Hermione had ever given him. Ron started pounding the sofa. What was happening to him? This was Remus Lupin for goodness sake. He couldn’t be in love with Remus Lupin!  
  
Ron became more and more frustrated the more he thought about it. He really didn’t know what he felt or what he wanted. And he had no idea what Remus was thinking on his part. Suddenly a tapping noise came from the window. Ron went over and let the owl in. He removed the note attached to it and read.  
  
 _Why did you go home? I missed you when I woke up._  
  
Ron didn’t know what to reply to this and sent the owl back without an answer. It didn’t take long before the owl was back.  
  
 _Are you ignoring me? Can we talk about what happened today?_  
  
Ron sent the owl back empty handed again hoping that Remus took the hint that he didn’t want to talk just now. But Remus didn’t take the hint, or he ignored it, because the owl returned a third time.  
  
 _I’m so sorry about what happened today, but I really think we should get together and talk. At least let me know if you are all right._  
  
Ron grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled down a reply.  
  
 _I’m fine. Goodnight, Remus._  
  
But Remus didn’t let it go just yet and Ron received an additional note.   
  
_Ok, you don’t want to talk about it right now, that’s fine. But I’m not letting you ignore me forever! Goodnight, Ron._  
  
Ron gave the poor owl a snack and sent it on its way back to Remus without a reply one last time that night.  
  
He didn’t want to talk to Remus just yet. He had no idea what to say and was afraid that he would complicate the matter if he spoke without thinking. He had done enough of that in his life. He needed time to think. And he needed to stay away from Remus a few days.


	13. Chapter 13

The morning after, he went into the village quite early. He was sure he wasn’t going to run into Remus there. Besides he hoped that he would run into that witch from before. He really needed to talk to her.  
  
But the witch was nowhere to be seen, and Ron didn’t dare to ask anybody about her either. He knew nothing about this woman apart from the fact that she was a witch, and he couldn’t ask the Muggles that.   
  
He walked around the village all day, checking out all the shops and had lunch in a small café next to the library. He even went in there, just to have a place to go. All this time he thought about Remus and his life in this little village versus Hermione and his family, and the life he had back in 1999.   
  
The day went and after Ron had eaten dinner in the same café, he had no choice but to finally go home. And just as he had feared, Remus Lupin was sitting on his doorstep when he got there.  
  
“There you are,” Remus said when he saw the redhead appear. “Where have you been all day? I’ve been waiting here for hours.”  
  
”I’ve been in the village. I’m allowed to go there, right?” Ron replied annoyed. “Remus, this isn’t really a great time for a visit.”  
  
“Oh, it never is,” Remus said and refused to leave. When Ron opened the door and went inside, he simply followed.  
  
Ron sat down on the sofa, and Remus sat down beside him. Ron didn’t speak and avoided Remus’ look as best as he could.  
  
“We need to talk about this, Ron.” Remus finally said.  
  
“Not now, Remus.” Ron begged.  
  
“Yes, now!” Remus said sternly. ”You have been avoiding me ever since you dropped me off at my house yesterday, and before you say anything I know I was barely awake, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t remember vividly that _you_ kissed me.”  
  
Ron’s face went red and he rose from the sofa. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”  
  
“It didn’t seem that way to me.” Remus said.  
  
“Well, I was confused, all right. I was just happy that you woke up.” Ron raised his voice. “Just leave me alone, Remus.”  
  
Ron ran up to his bedroom and tried to lock the door before Remus caught up with him. But the werewolf was too quick for him and stopped the door from closing and stormed into the bedroom after him.  
  
Ron threw himself face down on the bed and Remus sat down beside him. “Talk to me, Ron. I don’t know what to do either.”  
  
“Well you certainly know more than me. You started this mess.” Ron muttered.  
  
That shut Remus up for a second.  
  
Ron stayed with his face buried in his pillow for quite some time. He was hoping that Remus would go away. He didn’t want to talk about this right now. He had no idea what he thought of this situation and wasn’t at all ready to be confronted with it. But the boy didn’t budge. Remus sat beside him and didn’t leave.  
  
“If I had known it would turn into this, I would never have done it.” Ron heard Remus mutter eventually. “I’m sorry for doing this, Ron. It just felt right, you know. Right there, in that moment.”  
  
Ron turned around and looked at him. “It’s just that… I didn’t know you were like that.”  
  
“Like what?” Remus asked.  
  
“You know, that you liked me like _that_. That you like boys.” Ron felt embarrassed telling Remus this, but he knew it had to be done.  
  
“To be honest, I surprised myself.” Remus started to chuckle. “I mean, I have looked at other boys before, but come on, what boy hasn’t?”  
  
“I haven’t,” Ron blurted out, making Remus looking extremely uncomfortable.  
  
“But I have never done anything like this before.” Remus said after Ron had decided that he would shut up and let Remus speak. “But then again, I’ve never been this close to anyone before. I like you, Ron, and it just felt right. And when you kissed me back up in the cave, I thought that was your way of telling me that you liked me too. Obviously I was wrong.” Remus rose from the bed and walked towards the stairs.  
  
Ron jumped up. “Wait, Remus! Don’t go.”  
  
Remus stopped and turned around.  
  
Ron stood still on the middle of the floor, thinking extremely hard on what to say and do.  
  
“Well?” Remus asked.  
  
“I like you too, Remus. It’s not that. It’s just that…” Ron was struggling.  
  
“You don’t like me in _that way_.” Remus said disappointed and turned to leave.  
  
“That’s the problem.” Ron suddenly said. ”I think I actually _do_.”   
  
The words surprised them both.  
  
Ron sat down on the bed again and hid his face in his hands.  
  
Remus sat down next to Ron. “You do?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know.” Ron continued. “I don’t know anything anymore. I’m stuck in this cabin all alone and have no idea where to go and what to do and then you come along and I get all confused. All I know for certain is that I don’t want to lose you, Remus.”  
  
Ron looked up from his hands and looked straight into Remus’ smiling eyes. “You won’t lose me, Ron.”  
  
The two boys stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity to Ron. Remus’ eyes must be something of the most beautiful and peaceful things Ron had ever seen and he suddenly realized that he had again been staring at them a bit longer that what was normal behaviour. Ron had a feeling of déjà vu from that day before Remus’ transformation. He had been lost in those eyes then too. Had he actually had these feelings for Remus before the kiss?   
  
But Remus was a boy. A boy! Ron didn’t like boys. Ron loved Hermione. And Lavender had been a fun experience as well. He couldn’t go around having feelings for a boy? Could he? Ron closed his eyes and shook his head a bit. “Come on, weird thoughts. Get out of my head!” he told himself. This was probably just a weird dream. He had had plenty of those before. But when he opened his eyes, Remus was still there, and Remus was still staring at him. Waiting.   
  
Remus smiled carefully. He looked at Ron searchingly, waiting for Ron to take the next step in whatever direction they were going.  
  
Ron looked at the boy. The thought about them being from two different times and Ron knowing about Remus’ future didn’t even cross his mind. It was just the two of them. Right here. Right now. This was Remus. The sweet boy he had met two weeks ago. The boy that had helped him get home. The boy he had helped. His friend. His Remus.   
  
The kisses that followed were nothing like Ron had ever experienced with Hermione or even Lavender at her worst. It was nothing more than perfect. Sure it was a bit awkward at first when Ron had thrown himself at Remus causing their foreheads to bump together. Also when he had gaped a bit too much over Remus’ mouth and their teeth clicked. But after a fit of laughter from the both of them and Remus grabbing a hold of his face and took over the control, calming them both down things started to become better.   
  
Remus’ soft kiss on Ron’s upper lip made him relax enough to get his head around what he was actually doing. Ron opened his mouth slightly letting Remus’ tongue in. He let the other boy take command and just enjoyed the entire thing, responding by letting his own tongue meet Remus’.   
  
Remus didn’t let go of Ron’s head for a long time. They just sat there staring at each other, smiling.  
  
“You _do_ like me.” Remus finally said causing them both to break into laughter.  
  
“I never said that I didn’t.” Ron said, feeling pretty relieved that the awkward moment had passed. He actually felt quite content with the situation.   
  
“I know,” Remus agreed, “you just had a weird way of showing it, that’s it.”  
  
“Well, that’s just how I am.” Ron stated and lay down on the bed staring at the ceiling, smiling.  
  
Remus lay down beside him and stared at the ceiling too. “I guess I will just have to get used to it.”  
  
“I guess so.” Ron answered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The NC-17 rated one...

The days that followed were the best days Ron Weasley had had for a very long time. Remus showed up at his cabin early each morning and they spent the entire days together, Remus only leaving late in the evenings. They walked around in the forest, went swimming in the lake, Ron staying close to land in case there was another eel attack and they spent endless hours in Remus’ cave playing chess or cards and snogging.  
  
This was a summer holiday as it should be, thought Ron one night when Remus was lying next to him on his bed. Remus was reading a book and Ron flipped through the old Quidditch magazines.   
  
The full moon was tomorrow night, and they both dreaded it. Ron felt completely helpless and didn’t know how to tell Remus.   
  
It was starting to get really late and Ron felt his eyelids getting heavy. He dozed off, but quickly regained consciousness and pretended to read.  
  
He twitched as he felt someone touch his face. “What?” he called out, a bit too loud.  
  
Remus started laughing. The other boy had put down his book and lay on the bed facing him, his hand was still in the air after he had stroked Ron’s hair away from his face.  
  
“You were asleep,” he whispered.  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ron said, getting up, pretending to be very much awake.  
  
“That’s okay,” Remus said, and rose from the bed. “It’s getting late. I probably should go home.”  
  
“Oh, I guess it is.” Ron agreed. “So I guess you should?”   
  
“I don’t want to leave.” Remus looked straight at him.  
  
“You don’t?” Ron was still tired and a bit confused.  
  
“Unless you want me to leave,” Remus asked uncertainly.  
  
Ron merely shook his head.   
  
“So can I stay?” Remus asked.  
  
Ron nodded. “But won’t your parents get worried?” he asked after a little while.  
  
Remus stepped closer to him. “I’ll send my Patronus to let them know.”  
  
“Okay,” Ron’s voice was now only a whisper.   
  
The two sat down on the bed again.  
  
“Thank you for letting me stay, Ron. I really don’t want to go home. Not tonight.” Remus kissed him gently to say thanks.  
  
“No problem,” Ron answered and smiled back.   
  
Remus leant in and kissed him again.  
  
Ron wasn’t completely comfortable with the situation. He and Remus had obviously kissed a lot the last few weeks, but this was the first time Remus was about to spend the night. Ron wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet.  
  
Not long after the two boys were lying on the bed facing each other.  
  
Remus smiled at Ron, but Ron couldn’t bring himself to smile back with the same sincerity.   
  
“Relax, Ron.” Remus said. “I’m not planning on making you do anything you don’t want to do.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Ron tried to speak casually, but failed immensely with the shaking voice.  
  
“You have been looking absolutely terrified since I asked if I could stay.” Remus chuckled. “I just want to stay close to you, Ron. I want to stay with you tonight, seeing as I can’t be here tomorrow, and maybe not the next day either. That’s it.”  
  
Ron smiled back. He was quite relieved. “I’m sorry, I’m just so new to all this.” Ron started to excuse himself.  
  
“And you think I’m not?” Remus laughed, causing Ron to laugh as well. “I haven’t exactly done this any more than you, so just relax. We’ll work things out eventually.” Remus put his arm on Ron’s hip, and Ron did the same with Remus.  
  
“Thank you,” Ron whispered and kissed Remus on the forehead.  
  
“For what?” Remus asked.  
  
“For being you.” Ron smiled. He knew it sounded cheesy, but he couldn’t help but say it anyway.   
  
Remus grinned. “Well, I can’t help it, I’m just amazing, you know. I guess I was born that way.”   
  
The two of them started laughing and Remus grabbed a hold of Ron and squeezed him into a tight hug.  
  
“We should get to bed,” Remus said when he broke off the hug. “You must be tired.”  
  
“I was,” Ron admitted. “I’m more awake now, though. But it is getting late, so I guess we should. There are some extra pyjamas in the dresser over there. They might be a bit big, but just borrow them if you want to.”  
  
Ron got up and went downstairs to the bathroom. When he got back to the bedroom Remus was standing on the middle of the floor in his underwear looking in the dresser. He held up a pair of pyjama trousers and laughed. “These will fit the both of us at the same time.”  
  
Ron joined in on the laughter. “Fine, I’ll take one leg, and you’ll take the other.”  
  
Remus threw the trousers back into the dresser. “It’s doesn’t matter, I’ll just sleep in my underwear.”  
  
“Okay,” said Ron, suddenly very much aware that Remus was standing almost naked in front of him.   
  
The two had been by the lake several times, wearing nothing but swimwear, but this situation was very much different.   
  
Remus jumped into the bed and under the covers, and Ron didn’t want to stand staring and joined him.  
  
Once again, the two teens were facing each other, but this time under the sheets.  
  
Remus leant in and kissed Ron. “Thank you for letting me stay. I wasn’t sure you would want me to.”  
  
“Why wouldn’t I?” asked Ron.  
  
“Well, I thought maybe you thought I was after something more and didn’t feel comfortable with having me here.”   
  
“Don’t be silly.” Ron said, pretending like he hadn’t been nervous at all.  
  
Remus laughed and kissed him again. This time a longer and more passionate kiss than the previous one. Ron felt flushed when Remus withdrew and felt that he wanted more.  
  
He threw one arm around the boy and drew him closer. He started kissing him lightly and soon began biting him lightly on his lower lip, making Remus moan for more. Remus opened his mouth and let Ron’s tongue in. Their tongues played with each other for a while before Ron ended the kiss by sucking lightly on Remus’ bottom lip.  
  
They smiled at each other, and Ron moved a bit away from Remus trying hard to hide the bulging pants.  
  
Remus on the other hand, didn’t care that Ron had moved away from him. His hand stroked Ron’s face a couple of time, his fingers brushing over his lips before sliding down to his chest.  
  
Remus undid a couple of the buttons on Ron’s pyjamas and his hand slid under the clothing. Ron closed his eyes and moaned. No one had touched him like that for a very long time and he had longed for it. No matter how much the two of them had been making out for the last few weeks, they had stopped at that. The touching had been on the outside of the clothes, and never this sensual.  
  
Remus undid the rest of the buttons, and the top was shortly after on the floor. They lay bare-chested facing each other.  
  
Ron reached out his own hand to touch Remus, and the other boy shifted to get closer to him. Ron had forgotten all about hiding his own growing erection. They lay there, looking at each other, touching each other’s chests and shoulders. Ron felt really good right about now, and suspected Remus for doing the same.  
  
Ron leant in and kissed Remus gently again, the other boy responding by throwing his arms around him and shifting even closer. Remus’ hands now stroked every inch of Ron’s back, and Ron was now painfully aware of how close they were. Remus was bound to feel something soon. Ron’s entire body stiffened in fear that Remus would find out.  
  
Why he was so afraid of that, he didn’t really know. Remus knew that Ron liked him, but it was still a bit embarrassing to Ron.  
  
“You are gorgeous, Ron,” Remus whispered. “Relax.”   
  
“I can’t,” Ron whispered back.  
  
“Trust me. Just relax. I just want to touch you. Nothing more.” Remus whispered. “Just stop me if you don’t want to do this. But if you do, just relax and enjoy it.”  
  
Ron thought about this for a second. He did feel really good when Remus touched him, and he wouldn’t mind more of that. But what if Remus found out just how turned on Ron was. What would happen then?   
  
“Turn around,” Remus suddenly said, and Ron did as he was told. He was now lying with his back to Remus and could relax a bit more. Remus’ hands started exploring every inch of Ron’s back and his fingers traced up and down his spine several times before Remus replaced the fingers with his lips.  
  
The feeling of Remus kissing Ron’s back made Ron relax completely and the worrying stopped. Remus made him feel good, and Ron wanted to feel good. The decision to relax was therefore quite easy.  
  
Remus made a movement to make Ron turn around again, and met him with a passionate kiss when Ron did so. Remus started treating his chest and stomach with the same exploration of touches and kisses, and Ron moaned as Remus hit a spot right below his left nipple.   
  
“Are you okay, Ron?” Remus whispered. “Do you want me to stop?”   
  
Ron merely shook his head. This was too good to stop.   
  
Remus’ hands travelled further down his abdomen and finally reached the lining of Ron’s pants. Ron froze for a second. Did he want Remus to go there? Remus’ mouth met his own and he was distracted by a kiss. Remus’ hand slipped inside Ron’s trousers making the redhead moan in pleasure. Remus gently stroked Ron’s cock but didn’t take his eyes of his face while doing it, as if making sure that Ron was okay with it.  
  
Ron was becoming more than okay with it. He suddenly realized that his trousers were becoming uncomfortably tight and wriggled himself out of them, dropping them onto the floor.  
  
Remus had apparently done the same thing with his boxers because when the werewolf crawled so close into Ron, he could feel their erections touching. It was like nothing Ron had ever felt before and the feeling was making the both of them growl.  
  
Remus’ hand found its way under the sheet again, first stroking Ron’s side and arse, but it quickly found its way to their dicks. Remus grabbed a hold of both of them and he carefully moved his hand causing the most delightful friction Ron had ever experienced.  
  
Ron attacked Remus’ mouth trying to show him how much he loved this, but the feeling below his waist was soon becoming so strong he forgot what he was doing. The feeling of Remus’ hand and Remus’ cock touching his was such a turn on for Ron he couldn’t even explain it to himself. He knew he wasn’t going to hold it much longer.  
  
“Remus… I …” was all Ron managed to stutter. Remus must have understood what was about to happen, because he let go of the grip and removed his own cock, making it all about Ron’s. Remus definitely knew exactly what buttons to push, and Ron couldn’t ever remember feeling this good. Not with Hermione, and definitely not by himself.  
  
Ron felt his body tense up and grabbed on to Remus, which part he didn’t know as he was nowhere near capable of keeping a clear mind. Ron stopped breathing and his body stiffened completely for a second before his cock and body finally got its release, causing Ron to moan Remus’ name in the werewolf’s ear as he came.  
  
“That was…” Ron panted. “Bloody brilliant.”  
  
“Glad you enjoyed it,” Remus smiled and kissed his nose.  
  
Ron lay on his back staring at the ceiling. He had just had one of the best orgasms in his life, and because of a boy. He would never in a million years have believed that just a month ago. Then it suddenly hit him. Remus was there beside him, just as aroused as he was, but still unfinished.  
  
He turned to face the werewolf. “Thank you.” He said and kissed Remus gently on the lips. “It’s my turn to return the favour.”  
  
“You don’t have to,” Remus said. “I understand if you don’t want to…” but Remus never got to finish that sentence before Ron had placed his own hand on Remus’ hard member.  
  
It was a weird feeling at first. Ron had never touched any other penis than his own before, but the look on Remus’ face made him soon forget that. He stroked it gently at first, but quickly picked up the pace when he saw Remus’ facial expressions. Ron thought about the things Remus had done to him, and he tried to copy that as much as he could remember. He also knew what he liked, and hoped that Remus would too. By the looks of it, Remus wasn’t far away from climaxing either and Ron took great joy watching the boy enjoy what he did to him.  
  
Not long after he felt Remus’ cock get really hard and the boy stiffen completely for a second before white, warm fluids came squirting over Ron’s hand and Remus’ stomach. Remus moaned loudly and smiled widely. Ron felt proud, having caused another person to feel this good.   
  
The two boys lay completely still for a while just staring into mid air and trying to get a grasp on what had just happened. Remus was the first to move. He grabbed his wand from the bedside table and cast a cleansing charm on them and the sheets before he snuggled into Ron. He laid his head on Ron’s chest before squeezing him. “Thank you.” He whispered.  
  
Ron kissed Remus’ forehead in reply and turned around, letting Remus crawl into him from behind. Ron could feel his warm breath on his neck and fell asleep after just a few seconds.


	15. Chapter 15

Ron slept like a rock that night, not waking up before he heard a tapping noise at the window. It was Remus’ owl again. Ron turned around and saw that Remus wasn’t there. Had he left already? Ron hadn’t even noticed at almost kicked himself for doing that.  
  
He opened the window and let the owl in. He took the note and read it.  
  
 _Good morning sleepyhead. Did you see my note? Are you coming over for breakfast or not?_  
  
Ron looked at Remus’ side of the bed and saw a note lying there.   
  
_Ron  
I just remembered that I forgot to let my parents know that I was staying here, so I’ll just head back home before they wake up. Maybe you can come by for breakfast or something?  
Love, Remus_  
  
Ron looked at the time. It was almost ten. He threw on some clothes, sent the owl back to the Lupin’s and Apparated a couple of yards away from Remus’ house.  
  
He walked up to the house and knocked on the door.  
  
Mrs Lupin opened. “Oh there you are. Remus said that he had invited you, we have been waiting.”  
  
“Thank you,” Ron said politely and entered.  
  
He came into the kitchen and was met by a grinning Remus and a Mr Lupin almost completely hidden behind the Daily Prophet.  
  
“He’s here,” Mrs Lupin said. “Let’s eat.”  
  
Ron sat down next to Remus and watched the two adult Lupins help themselves to the delicious meal Mrs Lupin had prepared.   
  
“I just hope the bacon isn’t cold,” Mr Lupin muttered as he reached for the plate.  
  
“I’m sorry I was late, I overslept,” Ron excused himself and shed Remus a naughty look he prayed that his parents didn’t see.  
  
“It’s okay, Ron. We haven’t been waiting _that_ long.” Remus smiled. “Do you want some tea or coffee?”  
  
“Coffee, please.” Ron answered politely, and watched Remus get it for him.   
  
They all ate in silence for a while. Mr Lupin was still hiding behind his newspaper and when Mrs Lupin’s glare went from Ron to the window, Ron suddenly felt a hand on his thigh.  
  
He startled and almost knocked over his juice glass. Remus’ parents looked at him.  
  
“What is it?” Mr Lupin grunted.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” Ron lied. “I just got a cramp in my leg; I guess I must have slept funny.”  
  
At that moment, milk came spraying out of Remus’ nose. Ron couldn’t help himself either and the boys broke into laughter.  
  
“What is it with the two of you today?” Mrs Lupin asked. “I think you two are spending way too much time together.”  
  
Ron felt his face get just as red as his hair. If only Mr and Mrs Lupin knew.  
  
After breakfast the boys helped clear the table but quickly disappeared up to Remus’ room.   
  
Remus closed the door quickly behind them and flung himself around Ron’s neck and kissed him.  
  
“I so wanted to do that during breakfast,” Remus whispered in Ron’s ear.  
  
“I take it you haven’t exactly told them.” Ron laughed.  
  
“Are you crazy? They would kill the both of us. I have just managed to convince them that you are decent person and a good friend for me. I don’t think they would have been able to take it if I told them everything.” Remus snickered.  
  
“Probably a smart idea.” Ron smiled.  
  
“Are you okay about what happened?” Remus asked concerned.   
  
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ron asked back.  
  
“Well, I know I promised I wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to, but then things just happened, and you know.” Remus looked really worried.  
  
“I’m fine, Remus. Don’t worry. You didn’t make me do anything. Besides, do you hear me complain?” Ron laughed.  
  
Remus merely answered by hugging Ron tightly. “I want to spend every second with you today. I can’t stand the thought about tonight.”  
  
“Neither can I,” said Ron. “I wish there was something I can do. I should really start training my Animagus skills, shouldn’t I?” Ron chuckled.  
  
“What did you just say?” Remus looked shocked, and Ron realized what he had done.  
  
“Er... that way I can be with you during the full moon, right?” he simply asked.  
  
“Yes, that’s true.” Remus said. “But where did you get that idea from?”  
  
“I read it in a book.” Ron lied.  
  
“No book will tell you that, Ron.” Remus looked at him.  
  
“Not exactly, no.” Ron continued. “But the werewolf will harm humans, right?”  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
“But not necessarily animals?”   
  
“That’s correct, but still.” Remus gave Ron a searching look. “I sometimes get the feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me.” Remus replied.  
  
Ron didn’t know what to say. “Well, we all have our secrets, don’t we?” he covered it up with a fake laugh.  
  
“That’s true.” Remus admitted. “If I tell you one secret, will you tell me one of yours?”   
  
Ron didn’t know what to answer to that one. What could he possibly tell Remus that wouldn’t destroy this whole summer?   
  
“I don’t know if I have any secrets I can tell you,” Ron finally said. “Either I have secrets for a reason, or they’re so stupid you will laugh.”  
  
“Tell me one of the stupid ones then.” Remus said and sat down on his bed, waiting eagerly.  
  
Ron thought about it. “I’m really scared of spiders.”  
  
Remus laughed. “ _How_ scared?”  
  
“Really, really scared!” Ron said and sat down next to him. “My old girlfriend used to tease me about it. I mean, I saw an Acromantula once and that was the worst thing ever! But I also freak out whenever I see a small one. It’s silly really, but I can’t help it.”  
  
Remus couldn’t stop laughing. “Okay, I will make it my life’s purpose of extinguish all spiders from now on!”  
  
“Thank you,” Ron said, relieved that Remus accepted this little “secret” of his without demanding a more exciting one.  
  
“Don’t worry, Ron. I will save you from the itsy, bitsy spider.” Remus was now laughing so hard Ron started to feel embarrassed.  
  
Remus gathered himself and toned down the laughter. “I’m sorry, Ron. I know spiders are a bit creepy, but you must admit it’s funny. I would never have thought a guy like you to be that afraid of a little insect.”  
  
“They’re not insects.” Ron stated firmly.  
  
“I know, they’re arthropods?” Remus corrected himself.  
  
”No, they’re _monsters_!” Ron claimed.  
  
“Okay, so they’re monsters.” Remus chuckled.  
  
“But I don’t want to talk about spiders anymore, okay. They creep me out. It’s your turn.” Ron demanded.  
  
“Okay, fine. Well, mine is a bit different. You have to swear that you won’t tell anybody about it.” Remus looked Ron straight into the eyes, and Ron suddenly felt very nervous. What was Remus about to tell him?  
  
“I swear!” Ron said.  
  
“Okay, you know that you mentioned Animagus before?” Remus asked.  
  
Ron nodded.  
  
“Well, the reason I wondered where you got the idea from is that you’re not the first one that thought of that.”  
  
“I’m not?” Ron pretended to be surprised.  
  
“No,” Remus lowered his voice. “Sirius, James and Peter have all done it already.”   
  
“They have?” Ron thought he deserved to be awarded actor of the year.  
  
“You can’t tell anybody, understood?”  
  
Ron merely nodded.  
  
“So my transformations at Hogwarts weren’t as bad as the ones I’m going through here at home. I always had company.” Remus sighed.  
  
“You really miss school, don’t you?” Ron asked him.  
  
Remus nodded. “I really do. I felt like a person there, instead of a burden.”  
  
“I don’t think you are a burden, Remus.” Ron reassured him. “I just wished there was something I could do to make it easier.”  
  
“Just knowing you’ll be here tomorrow will help a lot.” Remus sighed. “You will be here tomorrow, right?”  
  
“Of course I will.” Ron answered quickly and threw his arms around the werewolf and kissed him. “I just feel so helpless.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” Remus agreed. “Can you do me a favour tonight?”  
  
“Anything.” Ron’s eyes lit up.  
  
“Put a sound proof spell on your cabin.” Remus looked at him.   
  
“What?” Ron couldn’t believe his own ears. “Why?”  
  
“Because I don’t want you to hear anything.” Remus explained. “I want you to be able to sleep and not worry about me.”  
  
“You must be joking.” Ron looked at him in disbelief.  
  
“No, I’m dead serious.” Remus looked straight at him. “I don’t want you to stay up all night like you did last time. The thought that I’m hurting you without being near you really breaks my heart. And I want you to be awake when you come and see me tomorrow.” Remus winked at him after that last comment.  
  
Ron reluctantly agreed. He would do anything for Remus, although this felt like he was letting his friend down. To ignore him when he went through all this pain seemed like stupidity to Ron, but he promised Remus he would cast a charm on the cabin to seal all the sound from the outside.  
  
Suddenly Remus jumped up. “Now, come on. We have to make use of this wonderful day, we can’t stay in here.”  
  
Ron followed Remus downstairs and outside. Together they ran down to the lake and threw themselves down next to the tree where they had first met. Remus lay on his back staring at the sky. Ron joined him.  
  
“Look, that cloud looks like a Hippogriff,” Remus said enthusiastically.  
  
“Which one?” Ron couldn’t see it.  
  
Remus pointed at a big cloud right over their heads. “That one.”  
  
“Are you serious? It doesn’t look like one at all,” Ron laughed. “It looks more like a Skrewt.”  
  
“Oh, what do you know? Have you ever seen one perhaps?” Remus frowned.  
  
“Of course I have,” Ron said. Like a Hippogriff was a big deal to have seen.  
  
“You have?” Remus sounded amazed. “When?”   
  
“At school.” Ron explained. “Our gamekeeper had one and showed it to us in Care of Magical Creatures. We got to know it pretty well.”  
  
“At school? Wow!” Remus was impressed. “There was nothing like that at Hogwarts. Our gamekeeper doesn’t seem to be interested in creatures like Hippogriffs. He’s only into the strange, dangerous ones.”  
  
Ron started to laugh heartily. “I totally believe you.”  
  
They lay there for a while staring at the sky, finding all sorts of weird creatures in the clouds and having small arguments about what they actually looked like.  
  
“Remus?” Ron suddenly said.  
  
“Mmm?” Remus mumbled.  
  
“What do you know about Time-Turners?”  
  
“Why? Are you planning on getting one?” Remus chuckled. “Do you regret meeting me and want to go back to make sure it never happens?”  
  
“Haha, very funny.” Ron said, but felt himself getting extremely nervous. “No, I was just wondering if you knew anything about them. How they work, how people get them, what happens to a person that uses one and such.”  
  
“Why are you wondering about that all of a sudden?” Remus sat up and looked at Ron.  
  
“Oh, I just read about it in a book the other day and found it interesting, that’s all.” Ron lied.  
  
“You read a book?” Remus stared at him in disbelief. “Really?”  
  
Ron sat up too. “Yes, what’s so funny about that?”  
  
“What kind of book then?” Remus asked.  
  
“Merlin, you start to sound like Hermione. If I had known you would be like this I would have stayed at home.” Ron got up to walk back to his cabin. He couldn’t take it if Remus would start too.  
  
Remus jumped up and followed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Ron. I didn’t mean it like that. It just that I have never seen you read a book, it was just meant to be funny.”  
  
“Well it wasn’t,” Ron stated.  
  
“Come back, I’ll stop joking.” Remus promised.  
  
“Fine,” Ron sat down again. “And if you must know, I have read a lot of books lately. Most of them about werewolves. There. Now you know.”  
  
“You have?” Remus was touched.   
  
“I had to find out about this mess, didn’t I? It’s not like I’m an expert on the subject,” said Ron.  
  
“Wow, that’s really nice of you.” Remus said.  
  
“And while I was flipping through one of the books at home I came across Time-Turners and I just started wondering. I can’t remember which book, though, I’ve gone through so many the last month.”   
  
“Hm…” Remus seemed to be thinking. “I don’t know much either. Interesting little objects aren’t they? Imagine being able to travel back and forth in time, that’s pretty amazing, right.”  
  
“So you can travel forth?” Ron asked quickly.  
  
“I believe so,” said Remus. “Why?”  
  
“Oh, just wondering. I have only heard about people travelling back in time, never the other way around.” Ron answered.  
  
“Well, it’s a Time-Turner, not a go-back-turner, so I believe you will be able to go both ways, but I really don’t know.” Remus said. “All I know is that they’re heavily controlled by the Ministry and really hard to get a hand on.”  
  
“Apparently not hard enough,” Ron muttered under his breath.  
  
“What did you say?” Remus asked.  
  
“Oh, I guess you’re right. I have never tried.” Ron lied again. “But what do you think happens if a person travels, let’s say twenty years back? Will that person be able to get back home? Or does he have to spend twenty years looking over his shoulder for himself? I’ve heard that you exist parallel with yourself and that you should never meet yourself because you can end up killing yourself because you think you are going crazy.”  
  
Remus started laughing. “It sounds like you have thought about this a lot, Ron. And you obviously know more about the subject than I do.”  
  
“I do?” Ron was surprised. “I thought you were like a bookworm and knew everything.”  
  
“Well obviously not enough of a bookworm.” Remus laughed. “I like to read, but I don’t know that much. Wow, twenty years, that’s a lot of turns. I guess the person would either have to live and wait for the twenty years to pass, and hopefully be in a place he will never meet himself. Or he would have to try to turn the thing forward. But I have no idea what would happen.”  
  
“Yeah, me neither.” Ron merely agreed. “But if that person decides to live out the twenty years what will happen at the point of his life when he used the turner. Would he simply disappear for catching up with himself? Or would he continue to live two lives?”  
  
“I guess he would disappear.” Remus supposed. “But if it’s the travelling version of yourself that disappears, or the original version I don’t know. I hope it’s the travelling version, though.”  
  
“Why?” Ron wondered.  
  
“Think about it.” Remus said. “If you travel back twenty years and live those twenty years one more time, you would probably have aged twenty years when you get to that point in your life. If the original you suddenly disappear you would walk around being twenty years older all of a sudden. That would create a major explaining problem to people.” Remus chuckled.  
  
“That’s true,” Ron faked a smile and prayed that it was the traveller that disappeared.  
  
“But why would anyone want to travel back twenty years?” Remus wondered.  
  
“I don’t know,” Ron said. “Maybe it was an accident?”   
  
“An accident?” Remus laughed. “If you have access to a Time-Turner you won’t be so stupid to play around with it.”  
  
Ron felt insulted, but merely bit his lip as to not say anything. He had to stay calm and pretend not to care about that last statement, but the truth is that it hurt immensely.  
  
“But who knows what can happen. It’s magic. Anything is possible.” Ron finally spoke.  
  
“Yes it is.” Remus stated.  
  
“I’m hungry,” Ron suddenly said. “Do you want to come back to my place and grab something to eat? I’m sorry but I’m really not comfortable about staying in your house today. Not after breakfast.”   
  
Remus chortled. “I understand that. I thought I was going to choke on my milk when you said you slept funny.”  
  
Ron smiled back. “Well, it was true. I haven’t slept like that before.”  
  
“Neither had I, but I would sure like to again, though.” Remus winked.  
  
Ron threw his arm around his waist and led him towards his cabin. “If you ask nicely, I might even let you.”


	16. Chapter 16

The boys went back to the Weasley cabin and made some dinner. It turned out that Remus was a better cook than Ron would ever imagined him to be and he managed to whip up a delicious meal from the strange items Ron found in the cupboards.  
  
After dinner they went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Ron could see that Remus was starting to get tired, so he didn’t come with any suggestions for any activities that would require much energy. He merely kissed Remus on the cheek and handed him his book from the table next to him. Remus smiled back and lay down on the sofa with his head in Ron’s lap opening his book. “You’re starting to know me well, Ron.”   
  
“Just let me know if you need anything, okay?” Ron just asked.  
  
“As long as I have you here, there’s nothing else I need.” Remus simply answered.  
  
“That sounds like such a cliché,” Ron laughed. “But thanks.”  
  
“You’re welcome, I guess.” Remus replied sceptically.  
  
Ron was wondering if he should pick up one of the other books or magazines that were on the table, but realized pretty soon that Remus had already fallen asleep. Ron didn’t dare to move an inch, but looked down at the face of the sleeping boy. He really looked peaceful. Not that Remus wasn’t a peaceful boy to start with, but he usually had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that made Ron’s heart skip a jump every time it appeared. This twinkle was of course hard to spot when the other boy was asleep, and Ron couldn’t believe that a sweet person like this could become so different just because of a stupid bite and the goddamn moon.  
  
The stroked Remus’ hair gently and just looked at the boy for a long time. Eventually Ron fell asleep too, one hand on Remus’ forehead, the other one holding his hand.  
  
Both boys jumped off the sofa as the hard and frantically knocking on the door suddenly started.  
  
“Remus, open up. I know you are in there.” an angry man’s voice came.  
  
“It’s Dad,” Remus turned white. “What time is it?”  
  
Ron was still half asleep and had no grasp on what was happening. “Er, I don’t know.”  
  
Remus ran over to the door and opened it finding a furious Mr Lupin outside.  
  
“Are you boys incredibly stupid?” he yelled. “Come on, Remus. It’s time to go.”  
  
“I see you tomorrow, Ron,” Remus called as his father dragged him out of the house and out on the road.  
  
“Oh no, you will not. You Mr Wilby are not welcome at our home anymore. This will never have happened if it wasn’t for you.”  
  
“What has happened?” Ron didn’t understand what was going on before Remus and his father disappeared with a loud crack.  
  
Ron stood outside his house thinking about what had just happened when he suddenly heard a loud howl from across the forest. The sound sent a terrible shiver down his spine. It was happening again. And only minutes after he had left. It dawned on Ron why Remus’ father was so angry. They could have ended up in an extremely dangerous situation if he hadn’t showed up and gotten Remus out of there. Ron just hoped that his father managed to get him into the shed and ready on time, whatever they used to do. He hoped Remus hadn’t hurt any of his parents in the process just because he had been stupid enough to fall asleep.  
  
He heard a second howl and suddenly remembered what he had promised Remus. The promise seemed so meaningless. Ron would never be able to sleep even if he heard Remus or not. But he still went inside and cast a spell on the cabin. The only sounds he could hear now were the ones he was making himself.  
  
The silence was driving Ron crazy. He needed to know how Remus was doing. He needed to hear that he was there and that he didn’t hear other screams that shouldn’t be there. It took all of Ron’s willpower to not lift the charm on the cabin, but he also knew that he would not be able to lie to Remus the following day if he asked him. Ron found it more and more difficult to lie to Remus. Something that was extremely impractical considering the web of lies he had managed to tangle himself into the last two months.  
  
Ron went upstairs to his bedroom and took out the book he was currently reading. This also had a chapter on werewolves and Ron searched it thoroughly looking for any new information. But this book wasn’t able to tell him anything he didn’t already know either from experience or the six other books he had read the past month. He put down the book and his thoughts went back to Remus.  
  
He wondered how his family was doing and the thought of not being able to go back there and visit Remus tomorrow almost tore Ron apart. He had to let them know that he was sorry and that they would be more careful next time. He had to fix whatever was left of decency in their relationship.  
  
This was driving Ron crazy. Would they let him in tomorrow? Were they even still alive? The horrible thought suddenly hit Ron and his stomach twirled. What if he had caused Remus to bite both his parents because they couldn’t get him in the shed on time?  
  
Ron stomach gave a major twirl and he ran to the bathroom. Maybe Mr Lupin had been right. This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for him. Maybe this was his punishment for meddling with time. He shouldn’t be there, and this was life’s way of telling him.  
  
Ron spent a lot of time in his bathroom that night and didn’t sleep a second. He knew Remus wanted him to be rested and up for staying with him all day tomorrow, but right now Ron didn’t know if that was a good idea at all. If his parents were there and okay they would probably not let him into the house. And if his parents were there and not okay then Ron was definitely the wrong person to come visit. This feeling nagged him all night. He had to know. He couldn’t just stay there and not know. What if Mr or Mrs Lupin was hurt and no one knew? Who would help them?  
  
Ron knew he had promised Remus, but he couldn’t help himself anymore. He lifted the charm on the cabin. If he could only hear some sounds, that would help. At least he hoped it did.  
  
He opened the window and stayed completely still, hoping for any sign that the Lupin family was okay. Ron didn’t move for an hour, but he heard nothing. What did that mean? Ron couldn’t stand not knowing. But he didn’t dare to leave the cabin either. What if Remus didn’t get to the shed on time and was running around the forest? Ron wanted to see him, but not in that situation.  
  
Finally the moon faded away and the sun was starting to come up. It was safe to go outside now, wasn’t it? Ron told himself that it was and went outside and Apparated to outside Remus’ house. The place looked calm. Ron didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.   
  
He didn’t dare to knock on the door just yet. What if Remus was still in the shed? What if they were asleep? Ron really hoped that they were. That would have been the best thing.  
  
He hid behind a bush and kept an eye on the house for a while, carefully listening for sounds that could give him a hint of what was happening.


	17. Chapter 17

Suddenly the front door opened and Mr Lupin came outside. He looked fine, Ron thought and a relief streamed through him. Mr Lupin went over to the shed and opened the lock on the door. He went inside and Ron could hear moans and grunts coming from the building. A minute later Mr Lupin came carrying a naked and bleeding Remus in his arms.   
  
Ron didn’t know what to feel. A part of him felt really relieved that Remus hadn’t hurt anyone else but himself, but another part of him really hurt when he saw the state Remus was in. Was this normal? Was this a regular sight every month? He had seen Remus last month, but that was after his parents had cleaned him up and put bandages on him.  
  
Ron couldn’t take it anymore, he had to see Remus. And he had to talk to his parents.   
  
Ron walked up to the front door and knocked.  
  
A bewildered Mrs Lupin opened the door. “What do you want?” she asked.  
  
“I want to see him. I promised him I’d be here.” Ron said.  
  
“You are no longer welcome in this house Mr Wilby.” Remus’ mother looked angry. “I’ve been told what happened last night, and I don’t think that you should be around my son anymore. You are making all of our lives dangerous.”  
  
Ron had tears in his eyes. “I know that we screwed up, and I’m so sorry. I promise that it won’t happen again.”  
  
“You’re damn right it won’t happen again, because you are not seeing my son again.” Mrs Lupin said sternly.  
  
”But Mrs Lupin, I’m sorry. I would never do anything that will put Remus’ or your life in danger.” Ron started crying.  
  
“But yet you did.” Mrs Lupin said as she closed the door.   
  
Ron sat down on the front step and moped. And it didn’t take long before he had tears in his eyes. What if Remus woke up and he wasn’t there? He had promised him to be there. And right now, he needed to see Remus even more than Remus needed to see him. He wanted to Apparate straight into Remus’ room, but was afraid that either of his parents would be in there already.  
  
He decided to knock again. He had to make these people see reason.  
  
Mrs Lupin opened the door again looking livid. ”I told you. You’re not seeing him.”  
  
”Please Mrs Lupin. I know you must probably hate me right now, and believe me, I do too.” Ron explained. He spoke quickly as to get as much said as he possibly could before Mrs Lupin slammed the door in his face again. “The only thing that happened last night was that the both of us fell asleep and forgot all about the time. I’m so glad that Mr Lupin came when he did, or I would never have been able to forgive myself. I promise that I will have an alarm set as a precaution next time, or we’ll be careful to stay close to your house. Anything, Mrs Lupin. I’ll do anything. Just please let me see Remus.”  
  
“Why should I?” Mrs Lupin merely said. But Ron could see that she was considering it.  
  
“Because you know as much as I do that Remus haven’t been as happy for a long time since he and I got to know each other. He needs a friend. Someone that treats him like a person instead of a werewolf.” Ron knew it was a risky thing to say, but it was also the truth. “I promised him that I would be here all day, and I have to keep that promise, Mrs Lupin. Please!” Ron begged her.  
  
Mrs Lupin considered it for a while. “Fine, but only for today. You can visit him today and you make sure he doesn’t leave his bed. But only for today. Is that clear?”  
  
“Of course Mrs Lupin. Anything.” Ron dried the tears from his eyes and ran upstairs to Remus’ room.  
  
He sat down on the chair next to the bed and grabbed Remus’ hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry Remus. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”   
  
Remus was fast asleep, something that calmed down Ron for a bit. He sat by his side holding Remus’ hand for an hour without anything happening.  
  
Ron heard someone come up the stairs and quickly let go of Remus’ hand. He didn’t want to cause any more trouble than he already did. Mrs Lupin popped in.   
  
“I need to check his bandages,” she whispered. “Do you mind leaving the room?”  
  
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Ron offered but was met by a look that he was sure she had picked up from Minerva McGonagall.  
  
Ron walked out to the hallway and waited.  
  
Mrs Lupin came out of Remus’ bedroom about ten minutes later, but didn’t say a word, she just went downstairs again, and Ron went back in, finding his usual place by Remus’ side, grabbing hold of his hand again.  
  
Ron hadn’t slept a second this night either and watching Remus sleep and knowing that he was actually there by his side made Ron relax so much that he started dozing off himself.  
  
“Mr Wilby, can I see you out here for a minute.” A voice suddenly came piercing through his dream of him and Remus sitting by a fire opening Christmas presents. Ron woke with a start and saw a furious Mrs Lupin standing in the doorway. What had he done now?  
  
Ron got up and walked quietly to the door as to not wake Remus. He closed the door behind him and looked at Mrs Lupin. “Yes? What do you want to talk to me about?”  
  
“I want you to explain exactly what is going on between you and my son.” Mrs Lupin demanded.  
  
Ron did _not_ see this coming.  
  
“Er… what do you mean?” Ron wasn’t sure what she was talking about.  
  
“Don’t think that I am stupid, Mr Wilby. I have eyes, ears and have lived a few years longer than you. What is going on?” Mrs Lupin’s eyes pierced through him.  
  
“He’s my best friend, and I’m his.” Ron started.  
  
“Don’t give me that nonsense. Remus has two best friends already and this is completely different.”   
  
“I don’t know what to say, Mrs Lupin.” Ron tried.  
  
“Don’t you think I saw you in there? That was not just being a friend.”  
  
Ron gulped. Had he gotten Remus into more trouble now? Ron looked at the floor.  
  
”How long?” she asked.  
  
”A couple of weeks,” Ron admitted and was expecting a lecture. But Mrs Lupin merely looked at him.  
  
“I knew it.” She sat down on a chair and sat completely still for a while. Ron didn’t know what to do so he just stood there.  
  
“Are you okay, Mrs Lupin?” he finally asked.  
  
“I’d always had a feeling; the way he talked about that Black boy just didn’t seem healthy. Besides that kid is a complete heart-breaker and a rebel, I wouldn’t want him to hurt my Remus if I could help it. Why do you think I forbid him and that other boy to come here?”  
  
“You forbid Sirius and James from coming here?” Ron looked shocked.  
  
“Of course I did. Remus was spending way too much time with those boys at school and he didn’t need them when he was here. He has us.”  
  
“So this is really what this is all about isn’t it?” Ron suddenly understood. “It’s not me, or that Remus has a boyfriend. You are just worried that someone will come and take your son away, aren’t you. That he won’t need you anymore.”  
  
He saw the tears in Mrs Lupin’s eyes. “Well, they are. They’re taking him away to that Order. Making him risk his life for a world that doesn’t even accept him for who he is.”   
  
“And what is that, Mrs Lupin?” Ron was getting annoyed. “A werewolf?”  
  
Mrs Lupin nodded.  
  
“You know what Mrs Lupin. I have never thought of Remus as only a werewolf. To me he is a wonderful person and a really good friend that happens to have a condition that comes once a month. It breaks my heart when I know what is happening to him during that night, but what’s even worse is that Remus never feels like a normal person. He loves to feel useful, to be able to help people. To be around people that doesn’t treat him like an outcast.”  
  
“How do you know this?” she asked.  
  
“Because he _told_ me! And I _know_ him!” Ron stated. ”And James, Sirius and Peter all treat Remus like a friend. Do you even know how much he misses them? Do you have any idea what those boys have done for your son? Not everybody treats Remus like he’s poisonous, Mrs Lupin.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Mrs Lupin was shocked.  
  
“That’s right. I know you and Mr Lupin love your son, but why aren’t you letting him live his own life? He’s old enough to make his own decisions, not to mention he’s really smart and talented. He would make an excellent Order member.”   
  
Ron couldn’t believe that he was actually standing here arguing with Remus’ mother about something that would in the end kill him. The terrible feeling hit Ron with a jolt. He hadn’t thought about that for a very long time.   
  
“Why do you care so much? You don’t even want to join the Order yourself.”   
  
“Because I care about _him_. And I want him to be happy. And Remus isn’t happy unless he gets to feel useful and have people around him.”  
  
“I care about him too.” Mrs Lupin argued.  
  
“Then show him. Let him live his own life.” Ron turned around to go back into the bedroom, not really knowing what else to say.  
  
“Do you love him?” he heard her ask. Ron froze for a second.  
  
“I do.” The words fell out of him without even thinking. He did? He did!   
  
Ron thought he only loved Remus as a friend and later it had turned into a small crush, but when he thought about it, he actually loved this person.   
  
Ron smiled as he walked into the room. He did.  
  
He sat down at Remus’ side and picked up his hand again. Mrs Lupin stood in the doorway and Ron could swear that he saw a tiny smile on her lips.   
  
“Just don’t tell Mr Lupin just yet,” she whispered. “I don’t think he would take it as well as I did.”  
  
Ron didn’t even dare to think about Remus’ father’s reaction now, and decided to let Mrs Lupin deal with that.  
  
Ron saw that Remus’ eyelid started to flutter. “What was that all about?” Remus whispered. Ron handed him a glass of water and helped him drink.  
  
“Oh, nothing you should worry about.” Ron said and squeezed his hand.   
  
Remus smiled. ”You came.”  
  
”Of course I did.” Ron smiled back. ”I promised I would.”  
  
“I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Remus started, but Ron broke him off.  
  
“I’m the one that should be sorry. You were exhausted. I on the other hand should be able to stay awake and not screwing up like that. I’m sorry, Remus. It won’t happen again.”   
  
”So my parents actually let you in?” Remus sounded surprised.  
  
“Yeah, eventually.” Ron chuckled. ”I managed to persuade your mother after a while, and I think she’s okay with it now.”  
  
“Wow, you’re good.” Remus whispered as his eyes fell shut again.  
  
“Just rest, Remus. We can talk later.” Ron kissed him gently on the lips.  
  
Ron stayed by Remus’ side all day and didn’t leave except to go to the bathroom, something he was careful to do when he was sure that Remus was asleep. Mrs Lupin brought them food and Mr Lupin never showed his face, something Ron was extremely happy about. He didn’t even know if Mr Lupin realized Ron was in his house.  
  
Sometime just before dinner Remus managed to stay awake for several hours and was even well enough to play a game of cards. The talks were extremely trivial, and Ron felt that they both avoided heavy and serious subjects, but he really didn’t mind. Right now the most important thing was for them to be together and make sure Remus had a fast recovery.  
  
The night came and Mrs Lupin came up to tell Ron to go home to his own house. Remus needed to sleep. Ron rose from his seat and as soon as Mrs Lupin had walked out he bent down and kissed Remus properly leaving both of them glowing. Remus still had his eyes closed and a big smile on his face. “You’ll be back tomorrow, right?”   
  
“Try and stop me.” Ron chuckled and walked out of the room. Mrs Lupin stood right outside the door and Ron almost bumped into her on his way out.  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were there.” Ron excused himself and then looked at her and asked her in earnest. “I _will_ be back tomorrow, right?”  
  
She nodded carefully.  
  
“Thank you,” Ron whispered and went back to his own cabin.  
  
A few moments later, lying in his own bed, Ron couldn’t help but smile. The fact that Mrs Lupin seemed to be okay with the thought of him and Remus had made this day so much better, and also that Mr Lupin obviously got Remus in the shed on time made Ron quite happy. He was awfully tired and fell asleep almost immediately.


	18. Chapter 18

Ron ran over to Remus’ house straight after breakfast the next day. He was so excited to see him again that he forgot to Apparate and was completely out of breath when he got there.  
  
He knocked on the door with a much lighter heart than he had ever done before, but his heart sank as Mr Lupin opened the door.   
  
“Oh, it’s you.” The man said, clearly not particularly happy to see him.  
  
“Mr Lupin, I’m so sorry for what happened. I swear I didn’t mean to…” Mr Lupin interrupted before Ron got to finish. “Yes, yes, I’ve heard. Just go upstairs, he’s waiting.”  
  
”Thank you so much Mr Lupin.” Ron said and ran upstairs.   
  
Remus was sitting in his bed grinning as Ron came hurrying through the door.  
  
“Someone is in a good mood,” he panted.  
  
“You came!” Remus stated.  
  
“Always the tone of surprise,” Ron teased. “Have I ever not come?”  
  
Remus laughed. “No, you haven’t.”  
  
“See,” Ron said and sat down. “So don’t worry. How are you feeling today?”  
  
“Brilliant,” Remus proclaimed. “I can’t stand being in this room anymore. Can we go somewhere, please?”  
  
“What do your parents think?” Ron asked worriedly.  
  
“Since when did we start to care what they think?” Remus chuckled. “Let’s go on an adventure.”  
  
“Adventure? Are you sure about that?” Ron asked. “Wouldn’t you much rather stay here reading or playing chess or something?”  
  
“Why? Do think I’m boring?” Remus teased.  
  
“I don’t think you are boring, Remus. We’ve already been on several adventures this summer, haven’t we? And if you are boring, what does that say about me? You’re the one that have been taking me everywhere. If I hadn’t met you I would probably have stayed in my cabin or by the lake all summer.”  
  
“Or lost in the forest.” Remus chuckled.  
  
“Or that.” Ron admitted.  
  
“But seriously, I have to get out of here.” Remus stated.  
  
“Fine,” Ron agreed. “But we are telling your Mum where we are going and we’re not staying long. I don’t care how well you are feeling, I don’t want to get on the wrong side with them again!”  
  
“Fine,” Remus huffed. “It’s better than nothing.”  
  
Ron didn’t dare to take Remus back to his place in fear of what Mrs Lupin would say, so he announced to her that they would just take some books and some food and go hang out by the lake.   
  
It wasn’t a very sunny day, so it wasn’t a good day for swimming, but it was nice enough to stay outdoors and just relax in the fresh air.  
  
The boys lay on a blanket by the usual tree and Remus was so caught up in his book he didn’t notice that Ron was staring at him.  
  
Ron thought about what he had said to Mrs Lupin the previous day. He looked at the werewolf and realized that it was indeed true. He had fallen completely in love with Remus Lupin. Ron realized that he didn’t even think about Hermione anymore except from when Remus was angry with him and they had minor fights.   
  
What if Ron just stayed here forever? It’s not like it would ever become a problem until 15 years have passed. That was the first time they had met each other.  
  
Suddenly Ron remembered that Remus was joining the Order when the summer was over. Ron couldn’t join the Order. Ron would never be able to pull that off without being caught or screw up something.  
  
But he really wanted to stay. Of course he missed his family, but he wasn’t afraid to admit that it was a relief to be away from them for a while, besides they didn’t even know he was gone. They wouldn’t miss him. But could he _stay_? Remus hadn’t known that much about Time-Turners either to give him any answers.  
  
Ron kept looking at Remus who was completely mesmerized by his book. He couldn’t stand the thought of leaving. What would happen to Remus if Ron left now? But then Ron also started to think about what he knew would happen. If he stayed, would he be able to stop all these bad things from happening? Without him, Remus would marry Tonks, and the both of them would end up dead after the final battle against Voldemort. Ron couldn’t let that happen!  
  
It was bad enough when he barely knew Remus as an adult, but now that he realized that he loved him he couldn’t just let him die.   
  
And what about Voldemort? Here Ron was having the opportunity to get rid of Voldemort before he even got started properly. He knew about the Prophecy before Voldemort did. He knew about the Horcruxes and he knew where to find them. He could take down Voldemort and save not only Remus’, but all the innocent lives.  
  
Ron started to smile widely. This was just brilliant! Harry would never become an orphan and everything would be just perfect.   
  
Ron jumped up. He had to know if this was possible. Remus snapped out of his book coma. “What is it?”   
  
“I just had a brilliant thought, but I have to check something. We’ll have to get you home first.” Ron said and helped Remus up and started packing their things.  
  
“Where are you going? And why can’t I come with you?” Remus was utterly confused.  
  
”I can’t tell you right now, Remus. But I will when I’ve had some answers.” Ron grinned.  
  
He led Remus home by side-along apparition and kissed him quickly before Apparating to the edge of the village. He had to find that witch. She would know.


	19. Chapter 19

He walked into a couple of shops looking for the witch, but she was nowhere to be seen. The last time he had been looking for her he didn’t have the guts to ask someone if they knew who she was, but this time, Ron was desperate.  
  
He went into a small shop that sold yarn and other craft items, thinking that an old lady like her was bound to come in here. This was a typical place for old ladies, wasn’t it?  
  
He hung around the shop pretending to be very interested in a ball of yellow yarn until he saw that the shopkeeper was free, and other customers out of earshot.  
  
“Excuse me, Miss,” he said politely. “I’m quite new in this place and don’t really know people, but the other day this nice elderly lady helped me find something I had been looking for for quite some time and I want to thank her. Unfortunately I don’t know her name or where she lives. Do you think that you can help me?”  
  
“Of course, my boy,” the nice lady behind the counter smiled. “Can you describe her for me?”  
  
Ron did his best to remember what the old witch looked like and told the shopkeeper everything he could think of.  
  
But it didn’t seem to ring a bell with her and Ron was getting more and more desperate.  
  
“Oh, yes. That’s right. She had a mole right by her left eye and carried a lime green handbag that clashes totally with the rest of her.” Ron suddenly remembered.  
  
“Oh, I know who you mean. That’s old Miss Squilder. She doesn’t come in here very often, but everybody knows her. She lives in the small house next to the train station. It’s just at the end of the main street and to your left.”   
  
“Thank you so much,” said Ron as he ran out of the shop and up the main street. He found the train station and saw a tiny house, just as small as his cabin, right next to it. He stopped for a second and thought about this.   
  
Did he really trust this woman enough to let him know what he was thinking? What if she was on the dark side? And there was Ron telling her that he knew how to get rid of Voldemort. Ron suddenly became full of doubt and almost turned around.  
  
But something inside him said that he needed to do this. He had to at least try! He had to know about Time-Turners. That was his main goal for today. The Voldemort part he could deal with later.  
  
He walked slowly up to the front door and was about to know when the door flew open by itself. “Come into the kitchen, dear,” a voice came from inside the house.  
  
Ron was a bit thrown off guard by this, but went inside. He walked through a very narrow hallway and peered carefully through the door in the end. The old woman was sitting by her kitchen table and had just poured two cups of tea.  
  
“Sit down, dear.” She said and Ron obeyed.  
  
“How did you know…” Ron started.  
  
“I saw you coming.” The witch smiled and pointed at the window.  
  
“But the tea?” Ron was confused.  
  
“I was making one for myself when I saw you,” the witch giggled. “It’s not magic.”   
  
Ron sported a nervous smile.  
  
“So what do you want to ask me, dear boy? Did you find the Lupin boy?” the witch asked him.  
  
“Yes I did. Thank you so much for helping me that day. I really appreciate it.” Ron began. He took a sip of the tea and thought hard about how he would phrase his next sentence.  
  
“Er, Miss Squilder. Are you the only witch in this area?”   
  
”As far as I know it’s me, the Lupins and the Weasleys whenever they are here. The rest of the lot are Muggles.”   
  
“Do you know the Lupins and the Weasleys well?” he continued.  
  
“Not well, I’m afraid. The Lupins I’m only familiar with, but I’ve talked to the Weasleys a couple of times when they are in town, but I can’t say I know them well. Nice people though. Mr Weasley always helps me with my groceries if I need it.”  
  
Ron smiled. His grandfather had always been a helpful man with good manners.   
  
”Do you know any other witches or wizards?” Ron continued to ask.  
  
“Oh, I know many people. I did go to Hogwarts in my youth and I regularly visit Diagon Alley, so I’m not completely lost.” The witch giggled.  
  
“You went to Hogwarts?” Ron asked. ”What house?”   
  
”I’m a proud Ravenclaw,” the witch announced.   
  
Ron felt a jumping sensation in his stomach. She was a Ravenclaw? That must mean that she was smart. Maybe she did know about Time-Turners. And she wasn’t a Slytherin so the chances of her being on the Dark side luckily slimmed down a bit. Of course he couldn’t be completely sure.  
  
“Do you know Professor Dumbledore? He’s the headmaster at Hogwarts now.” Ron asked.  
  
“Everybody in Britain knows Dumbledore, dear.” She laughed. “Great wizard, he is. Probably the greatest one around.”  
  
”Even greater than You-Know-Who?” Ron’s voice dropped to a whisper.  
  
“Do not mention that person in my house ever again.” The witch yelled. “He is a puny excuse for a human. Although I’m not sure he qualifies to be called human.”  
  
“Yeah I know. Believe me. I don’t think he’s greater than Dumbledore. Far from it. I just had to make sure you didn’t think so either.” Ron explained.  
  
“Oh, okay,” the witch calmed down. ”But I know Dumbledore, yes.”  
  
“Do you know anything about Time-Turners?” Ron just blurted out the question. He didn’t know what else to say to make it less awkward.  
  
“I know a bit,” the witch admitted. “Why?”  
  
“I was just reading about them and I started to think about some issues and I really didn’t know the answer to them, so I thought I’d come and ask you.” Ron told her.  
  
“Tricky objects those Time-Turners. Luckily they’re heavily controlled by the Ministry, imagine what could happen if anybody could get their hand on one.”  
  
Ron became very nervous again. “What would happen exactly?”  
  
“Oh the world would become totally chaotic. People would eventually lose sense of what is real or not. People would lose control over who they are, meeting themselves or the same friend several times, nothing will make sense. You must see that yourself.”  
  
“Yes, I know the part about meeting yourself is a tricky problem, but what consequences will it actually have if a person sends himself, say, like twenty years back?”   
  
“Oh, that would be horrible.” The witch gasped.   
  
“Why?” Ron gulped.  
  
“Time is a very sensitive thing that should not be meddled with unless it’s absolutely necessary, boy. And only then in small amount. A couple of hours someone can handle. Perhaps a day if you are really careful. But _years_? And twenty? That’s just stupid to think you can get away with.”  
  
“It is?” Ron was getting scared. ”But what will happen if that person wants to stay in the time he had travelled to? What if he thinks he can really make a difference?”  
  
“Oh, he might think he can, but he can’t. No one should mess with time like that. You can’t change people’s fates, only mess with their minds. What is meant to happen happens. There’s nothing anybody can do to change that.”  
  
“That isn’t true.” Ron argued. “Two of my best friends used a Time-Turner once. They travelled three hours back and saved a man’s life and a Hippogriff.”  
  
“And is the man they saved alive today?” the witch simply asked.  
  
“Sort of,” Ron lied.   
  
“Let me rephrase that,” the witch broke in. “Is he still alive in your time?”  
  
“How did you know?” Ron was shocked.  
  
“Oh, no one would have insisted so much on it being a smart idea to travel so far back in time without being the one that either had done it or was thinking about it. But you didn’t answer my question. Is the man still alive?”  
  
Ron’s heart sank along with his head. “No,” he muttered. “He died two years later.”  
  
“There you see.” The witch clapped her hands together making Ron jump at the sound. “If you interfere with time, time will find another way of fixing your mistake. What is meant to happen will happen, and time knows that.”  
  
“But the Hippogriff is still alive.” Ron wouldn’t give up.   
  
“Ah, but the Hippogriff is merely a creature and maybe it wasn’t meant to die in the first place. Maybe that’s why your friends were able to go back in time. Maybe it was the Hippogriff they were there to save, not the man.”  
  
“Are you saying that a person that travels in time can’t make a difference by saving people?” Ron didn’t want to believe this.  
  
“What is meant to happen will happen,” she repeated. “If you go back to save someone that wasn’t supposed to die, you will do fine. But if that person was supposed to die, time will find a way to correct that.”   
  
“So if I tell you that I know a way of destroying You-Know-Who before he gets too powerful and save thousands of innocent lives, you will tell me what?”  
  
“That that is a pipe dream, my boy. And as tempting as it may sound must not be put into action.”   
  
“Are you kidding me?” Ron yelled. “I am telling you I know how to stop You-Know-Who before he manages to start two wars. _TWO_ wars, do you hear me?”  
  
“I hear you loud and clear, although I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, but there’s nothing you can do about it.” The witch sighed. “I really wished there was, but time is a tricky thing and you must not mess around with it. It’s for a reason that the Ministry controls the Time-Turners.”  
  
“But why do they exist in the first place if you can’t really do anything?” Ron felt as if all hope had left him forever. Was he supposed to just sit and let this whole catastrophe happen?  
  
“That is a good question; I guess they can come in handy for small travels. Why did your friend have one for instance?”  
  
“She was taking every subject in her third year and used it to manage to get to all the classes.” Ron mumbled.  
  
“There you go! Small unimportant tasks that won’t interfere too much for the world, but can mean a lot to one person. I bet the ones at the Ministry stuck with a lot of paperwork uses them all the time.” the witch winked at him, but Ron didn’t see the humour in it.  
  
“But how did you get one?” the witch suddenly asked. “And how on earth did you manage to travel twenty years?”  
  
“Twenty-one actually,” Ron said. “I found it in the bedside table in the cabin, but thought it was a fake since they are, as you said, supposed to be controlled by the Ministry. I was daydreaming and spun the turner back.”  
  
“Wow,” the witch said. “That was really… stupid.”  
  
“Why, thanks,” said Ron sarcastically. “I didn’t think about that.”  
  
“I’m sorry, but it is. Time-Turners are not toys.”   
  
“Yeah, I know that, but I didn’t realize what it was before I was back here, and then it was too late. It’s not like I could have just put a reverse spell on it.”  
  
“Actually that’s exactly what you should have done.” The witch giggled.  
  
“Are you kidding me?” Ron didn’t believe her.   
  
”No, I’m not.” the witch said. “But you should have done that right after the first charm had been done. Now it’s more complicated.”  
  
“How far back did you travel exactly and how long have you been here. And most importantly, who have you met, been talking to and done while you were here?”  
  
Ron was completely stumped by all these questions.  
  
“But what if I don’t want to go back? What if I want to live out these twenty-one years?” Ron refused to answer the witch’s questions.  
  
“Why would you want to do that? Please don’t tell me that you are staying because of a person?”   
  
“Why would that be so bad?”   
  
“Because I told you, you can’t do anything about people’s fates, only mess with their minds. So the longer you stay, the more you mess with that person’s mind later in their lives.”  
  
Ron was speechless. Did the witch tell him that he was doing more harm to Remus by staying than by leaving? That couldn’t be right? He made Remus happy. Remus had told him so.  
  
”But, we’re best friends,” Ron almost started crying again. “I… I love him.”   
  
“Him?” the witch asked. “Oh, no. Not the Lupin boy?”  
  
”Who else would it be?” Ron said annoyed.   
  
“Tell me, son. Had you met the Lupin boy from your life in your real time? Or did you meet him for the first time here?”  
  
“I knew him,” Ron Mumbled.  
  
“Oh, dear. Oh dear. This is worse than I thought.” The witch started pacing around her kitchen. “You haven’t told him where you are really from have you? And have you told him your real name?”  
  
“No, I haven’t . He knows my real first name, but not the last name. The Weasleys are my Grandparents, that’s why I’m staying in their cabin. But he thinks my name is Wilby and that I went to Durmstrang. I may have slipped some true information, but I have tried my best not to let him know.”  
  
The witch sighed. ”That’s a tiny relief. Listen. You must not tell him the truth about who you are and most important of all; you must never tell him anything about what will happen to him in the future. Is that clear?”  
  
”Why not?” Ron wondered.  
  
”Because he will get so aware about this own fate that he is bound to mess it up either by searching out the good things or avoiding the bad. A person must never know what will happen to them. That’s even worse than meeting yourself.”  
  
Ron saw the logic in that, as much as he hated to admit it. “I promise,” he sighed.  
  
”And you must go back to your own time as soon as possible.” She told him.  
  
“And _how_ exactly do I do that?” Ron said annoyed.   
  
”It’s easy, really.” said the old witch. “Each turn on the Time-Turner is an hour. You will have to work out how many hours you must turn it around to get back to your own time and then go to the place where you were when you travelled back. Then put the charm on the turner. Be careful that you charm it the right way and don’t end up in 1957. I would recommend setting it an hour early, so that you can hide nearby to your other self disappears when the time comes.”  
  
“Do I really have to? And why can’t I tell Remus a part of the truth? Just so he knows why I’m leaving?” Ron really didn’t want to do this.  
  
“Yes you have to, and no, you can’t tell him. You have messed with the boy’s mind enough for his lifetime. You have to leave as quickly as possible.” The witch stated firmly.  
  
Ron sighed. “Fine, I guess I have no choice. Just one last question. Does the Time-Turner know that it is going to be used?”  
  
“What do you mean?” the witch asked.  
  
“When I met Remus the first time, which means in about fifteen years, did he recognize me?” Ron asked.  
  
“That depends on what you have told him and done during your time here.” The witch answered.  
  
Ron thought about it. He couldn’t remember Remus’ reaction to their first meeting. He was asleep when they first saw him, and when he woke up they were a bit distracted by the Dementor and Harry fainting and all that stuff. But when Ron thought back to the years he had known Remus, Remus had never really talked to him. It was always Harry. Was that because he didn’t recognize him, or because he did? What if Remus went through all those years with the secret that he already knew Ron?


	20. Chapter 20

Ron couldn’t even remember walking back to his cabin, but he suddenly found himself sitting on the sofa, still completely lost. He had no idea what to do.  
  
Of course he knew what he should do, but he really didn’t want to, and had no idea how to break it to Remus.  
  
He didn’t want to leave Remus. He loved him. He really did. No one had ever made him feel so good about himself as Remus did. He had never felt as useful as he had when he helped Remus, and he knew that Remus felt the same way about him helping Ron. Remus had been there for him when he needed it the most, and he had been there for Remus. Ron had never had that with Hermione. He always felt that she was superior to him. She was always better at everything and was always right. Ron actually felt useless in her company. But he had loved her too, he couldn’t deny that.   
  
What if Remus loved Ron back? And what if he realized that he was actually Ron Weasley? What had that done to Remus in the 90’s? A horrible feeling hit Ron; had Remus carried that secret for the five years they had known each other? And why hadn’t Ron remembered anything? Was it because this all happened before he was even born? This was turning into a big mess and Ron felt really guilty for doing this to Remus.  
  
He knew he had to leave. And he needed to make it as painless for Remus as possible, and pray that he had believed his lies so far. Ron just hoped he managed to tell a few more. He hated doing that, but if it was for the best for Remus…  
  
He didn’t go back to the Lupin house that night and when Remus owled him asking him what he was up to, he simply scribbled down:  
 _I will tell you when I know more. Talk to you later.  
Love Ron_  
  
Ron stayed up all night desperately trying to figure out exactly how many turns he must charm the Time-Turner to spin to go home. He could barely remember the date he and Hermione had Apparated to the village, and he certainly could not remember what time exactly he had started playing with the damn thing.  
  
He decided to set the turner to spin to the same afternoon. That way he had a couple of hours just to be sure. Maths wasn’t exactly Ron’s best subject, but after a while he thought he had the right way of figuring this out. He put a charm on a piece of paper that changed the number as the time went forward. Ron looked at the little note and thought this was the weirdest countdown he had ever seen. But this way he didn’t have to sit down and figure out the right number of turns when he decided to go back. He had to say properly goodbye to Remus first. He couldn’t just leave like that. He didn’t _want_ to leave like that either. He needed to spend some time with Remus, no matter what the consequences might be.   
  
Morning came and Ron still hadn’t slept. Sleep was beginning to become a rare thing these days. He went to the bathroom to take a shower. That would make him feel a bit more fresh and awake.  
  
He came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wrapped only in a towel. He walked upstairs to find clean clothes.   
  
“There you are,” a happy voice said and Ron startled and dropped the towel. Remus was sitting on his bed waiting for him. Ron blushed and quickly bent down to pick up the towel.  
  
“Don’t rush because of me,” Remus laughed. “I don’t mind.”   
  
Ron didn’t manage to get a word out. He still hadn’t figured out what to tell Remus, and here he was. And Ron was naked. That suddenly felt extremely awkward.  
  
Remus rose from the bed and walked over to Ron. “I missed you yesterday. Where did you go?” he whispered and kissed Ron passionately. Oh how Ron would miss those kisses. But he came to himself and pushed Remus away.   
  
“I can’t tell you just yet,” Ron just said as he hurried to the dresser and found some underwear and trousers. “Do you mind turning around for a bit?” he asked.  
  
“Why so shy all of a sudden?” Remus chuckled.  
  
“Remus, please?” Ron begged.  
  
“Fine,” Remus said and turned around until Ron had put some clothes on.  
  
“Are you hungry?” Ron asked and started walking downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
“A bit,” Remus said following him. “What has happened, Ron? You act so strangely today.”  
  
Ron didn’t answer. He just went into the kitchen and started making them breakfast.  
  
“Talk to me, Ron.” Remus demanded.   
  
”Not now, Remus.” Ron sighed and he felt a tear rolling down his chin. Remus must have seen this because he came hurrying over to him.  
  
“What’s the matter, Ron?” he said and flung his arms around him and pulled him into a big hug.  
  
Ron couldn’t hold it in anymore. Not when Remus was all up in his face like that. The tears came rolling down his face and he couldn’t speak. All he could do was sob and clutch to Remus for dear life. His dear Remus. The last time he would ever see him.  
  
Remus didn’t say anything. He just held on to Ron and let him cry. When Ron finally managed to calm down a bit, Remus let go.  
  
“Sit down, Ron. I’ll do this.” Remus kissed him on the forehead and led him to a chair before continuing to make breakfast.  
  
Ron just sat at the table, staring into nothingness while Remus moved around the kitchen making tea and toast. Plates and cups appeared in front of him and tea and toast came not long after.  
  
He still hadn’t said anything to Remus, but Remus seemed to understand that Ron didn’t want to talk about it just yet.  
  
They sat at the table in silence for a long time. Ron barely touched his food. After a while Remus started to clear the table and do the dished. Ron wanted to stop him and tell him there was no point, but he just let him. This way he kept Remus busy and Ron could look at him without talking.  
  
Ron sat at the kitchen table, watching Remus clean up after dinner for what only seemed like seconds to Ron.   
  
“Shall we move into the living room, Ron? The sofa must be more comfortable than that kitchen chair.” Remus took his hand and helped him up.  
  
Ron simply nodded and followed Remus into the other room. Together they sat down on the sofa. Suddenly Remus said something Ron would never have expected.  
  
“You are leaving, aren’t you?”   
  
Ron looked at him in horror and wanted to scream that it wasn’t so, but he couldn’t. The tears came back and he simply nodded.  
  
“I knew it,” Remus’ eyes were filled with tears as well.  
  
“How’d you know?” Ron stuttered.  
  
“I know you were only here for the summer, but I kept telling myself that I would be able to convince you to stay and perhaps join the Order with me. But from what happened these last three days I knew that would never happen.”  
  
“It’s not that I don’t want to stay. I just can’t.” Ron sobbed.  
  
“Why not?” the two boys were now merely sobbing and stuttering words.  
  
“It’s hard to explain, but basically I will hurt you more by staying than leaving.” Ron told him.  
  
“That’s not possible,” Remus disagreed. “You will never hurt me by staying.”  
  
“It’s complicated,” said Ron “but the longer I stay apparently the more I will hurt you.”  
  
“I don’t believe you,” said Remus.   
  
“I’m having difficulties believing it myself, Remus. But apparently it’s the truth.”  
  
“You are just making this up because you have no good reason. If you don’t like me, just tell me.”  
  
“But I do like you, Remus. I don’t want to leave, believe me. But I have to. That’s what I found out yesterday. I had this brilliant idea to make things perfect and to stay and everything, but I needed help with my plan. But that idea backfired completely and the witch told me I had to leave.”  
  
“But how can you hurt me by staying? I love you, Ron.”  
  
“Don’t say that,” Ron yelled. “Don’t!”  
  
“But I do!” Remus yelled back. ”Deal with it.”  
  
“I’m not the one that has to deal with it. You’re only making things worse by doing that. I really don’t want to go.”   
  
“Oh? You seem pretty determined to do so.” Remus was getting even angrier and Ron just hoped that he wouldn’t storm out.  
  
“Because I love you too, stupid.” Ron yelled.  
  
“You what? You just told me to not say that to you, and then you yell it back? That’s not fair, Ron.”  
  
“I know, it just slipped out.” Ron looked at the ground. “But that’s what making this thing even worse.”  
  
“So when are you leaving?” Remus asked when they had both calmed down a bit.  
  
“I should have done it a long time ago, so the longer I wait, the worse it will get. We both will have to live with the consequences.”  
  
“Could you stay until tomorrow?” Remus asked calmly. “I would at least like to spend one last day with you.”  
  
“I guess,” Ron nodded. “Are you sure about that?”  
  
Remus nodded. “If this is the last time I will ever see you, then I want to make the most of it.”  
  
“Yeah, me too.” Ron whispered.   
  
Remus walked up to Ron and flung his arms around him. “I don’t understand one bit of this, but I trust you, Ron. And whatever you have to do, you have to do, right? But I still wished this wasn’t happening.”  
  
“Me neither.” Ron said “Can you just promise me one thing, Remus?”  
  
“Anything!” said Remus.  
  
“That after I leave, you will not blame the witch in the village? It’s not her fault. She’s just the one that told me the truth about the trouble I’m causing.”  
  
“I still don’t see what trouble you are causing, Ron, but I promise.” Remus kissed him. Ron tried to pull away, but Remus wouldn’t let him.   
  
The kiss tasted like salt and Ron noticed that tears were running down Remus’ face too. Ron couldn’t believe that Remus was so trusting and understanding. He would not have taken this so easily and he would never have let Remus off the hook without telling him more. How could Remus just accept it?  
  
Ron squeezed Remus. “Thank you for being so understanding, Remus. If this was me I would have gone totally crazy and probably punch you or something.”  
  
“Well, I can’t deny that a part of me really wants to,” Remus smiled carefully. “But I know you, and you would never lie to me. So I trust that you are telling the truth. And you seem sincerely sad about this yourself.”  
  
Ron felt horrible. He had never lied to anyone as much as he had to Remus. But all this was to spare him and not cause trouble, and a part of him was glad that he did. If Remus had known the truth about him he would definitely have caused more trouble for Remus in the future. Remus was better off not knowing.  
  
“So what do you want to do today?” he asked Remus.   
  
“I don’t know,” Remus said. “I just want to be with you.”  
  
“We can go up to your cave if you want to,” Ron suggested.  
  
“I rather not,” Remus said.  
  
“Oh, why?” Ron wondered. ”We haven’t exactly spent too much time up there this summer. It was an amazing place!”  
  
“I know, but I’d rather stay here.” He just said. “It would just hurt too much going back there.”  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that,” Ron said embarrassed. Here he was hoping that Remus would eventually forget about him, and then he suggests going up to the one sanctuary he has in his life. Nice one, Ron. Really nice.  
  
How Ron wished that Remus didn’t know that he was leaving. Both of them would feel so uncomfortable all day it would almost lose the point of staying an extra day for this.  
  
Remus seemed to have read his mind because he suddenly said. “No, I don’t want to sit around and mope. Let’s pretend that this is just a day like all the others and let’s do something. Anything.”  
  
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Ron and jumped up from his seat. “Let’s go into the village!”  
  
“What?” Remus looked terrified.   
  
”Why not?” Ron said.  
  
”But I never go into the village. People stare and whisper.” Remus didn’t seem to want to go.  
  
“When they see you?” Ron asked.  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
“How long has it been since you last set your foot in the village?” Ron asked.  
  
“I haven’t been there since before Hogwarts, and even before that not very often.” Remus admitted.  
  
“So these people you are talking about haven’t seen you since you were 10 or 11 years old?”   
  
“Something like that.” Remus said.  
  
“Then they will never recognize you. Besides, you will be there with me, we can pretend that you are a friend of mine from out of town.”   
  
“Are you sure?” Remus asked sceptically.  
  
“Positive. Let’s go.” Ron said and dragged Remus out of the sofa and outside.


	21. Chapter 21

They walked together towards the village and it didn’t take long before Ron felt Remus take a hold of his hand, squeezing it hard. He squeezed back and smiled at Remus. “It will be fine. I promise.”  
  
As they approached the village, Ron felt Remus take a firmer grip on his hand. He was really nervous about this. Ron felt bad for pressing him to do this, but another part of him was glad that Remus was distracted from the upcoming goodbye. He stopped walking just before the last few yards before they were bound to run into people.  
  
“Listen, Remus. Before we go in there you need to decide who you are. You can be Remus Lupin and not care about what people think, or you can be whoever you want to be if you don’t want them to know. I can hold your hand if you want, but then you must get used to the stares as well. I have no idea what the people in this place are like if they see us. It’s up to you what you want to make of it.”  
  
Remus thought about it for a second. “I am Remus Lupin.” He said proudly and let go of Ron’s hand. “But if people ask I had tuberculosis. That’s believable, right?”   
  
“It’s perfect.” Ron laughed and kissed Remus deeply. “There, one for the road.”  
  
Remus blushed. “Thanks. I want to be myself, but maybe not a hundred percent myself just yet.”  
  
“I totally understand. You might want to come back some day and don’t want to scare people of with your horrible personality.”  
  
Both of them started laughing heartily and Ron felt relieved that the tension seemed to have vanished between them.  
  
“Okay,” Remus sighed. “Here we go.”  
  
They walked side by side up to the main street.   
  
Remus seemed to be quite nervous at first, but tried not to let it show. Ron knew that he was used to be among people, but not these people. The people that just knew him as a sick boy that had suddenly disappeared. The mysterious boy.  
  
But people in the village didn’t seem to take any notice of the boys. Some of them nodded courtly to Ron when they passed, but no one seemed to notice the boy next to him.  
  
“You look like you could use some candy. I know a place where they sell the best chocolate. It’s no Honeydukes, but it’s the closest we’ll get.” Ron started pulling Remus’ arm.  
  
“Have you been to Honeydukes?” Remus asked.  
  
“Of course I have. My Mum takes me there every year for my birthday. Gives me a couple of Galleons and lets me go crazy. I love Hogsmeade!” Ron lied again.  
  
“When is your birthday?” Remus wondered.  
  
“I’m not telling you. It’s a secret. Now come on.” He said and dragged Remus after him to the sweetshop next to the library.  
  
Minutes later they walked out of there with a huge chocolate bar each. Remus couldn’t wait to get started on his, and had already ripped of the paper and taken several bites.  
  
“Merlin, this was delicious.” He sighed. “So what else is there to do in this town?”  
  
Ron laughed. “Are you still sure that you are Remus Lupin?”  
  
“Of course.” Said Remus.   
  
“Then I suggest the library.” Ron pointed at the huge building next to them. “I know how much you love to read, and it’s a shame that you don’t have a library card. I know it’s only Muggle books, but still.”  
  
“I love Muggle books, but I only get to read the ones Dad brings home with him, and he’s not very good at picking out books I like. Neither does he really bother to try.”  
  
“Well, it’s time to do something about it.” Ron said and dragged him up the stairs and into the building.  
  
The library visit lasted over two hours, but they walked out of there with two large bags loaded with books and Remus had introduced himself to the first Muggle in the village. A young nice girl that didn’t even flinch by the sound of his name.  
  
“You see, Remus. Maybe people don’t whisper and stare as much as you thought.”  
  
“Perhaps you are right.” Remus smiled and gave him a hug. “Thanks for making me do this, Ron.”  
  
“No problem,” Ron smiled back. “Are you hungry?”  
  
Remus nodded.   
  
“Let’s grab some lunch.”   
  
They went into the small cafe that Ron had visited earlier and ordered some food.   
  
“So, who is your friend, Mr Wilby,” asked the waitress.  
  
“I’m Remus Lupin,” Remus said and held out his hand.  
  
“Are you really?” the waitress didn’t take the hand but merely looked at Remus. Then she dropped her voice. “Are you the little Lupin boy?”  
  
“Well, not so little, but yes I am,” Remus faked a smile. He was clearly offended that she didn’t want to shake his hand.  
  
“But I thought you were sick, or dead. That’s what everybody says.” The woman said.  
  
Ron wanted to stand up and slap her.  
  
“Well, I’m not!” Remus was annoyed. “I was sick when I was little, but I’m not now.”  
  
“Oh, that’s good then.” The woman said and turned to leave.   
  
“Well, tell everybody that then.” Remus called after her. “Tell her that the strange little Lupin boy is alive and well and sitting right here, and that he would appreciate it if people didn’t go around spreading rumours about him being dead behind his back.”  
  
Ron couldn’t believe his eyes or ears. “Wow, Remus. That was... incredible!”  
  
Remus was shaking, but smiled. “It felt good.” He took a sip of his soda. “It’s good to finally have it in out in the open.” They looked around and saw that people were whispering among themselves for a while. But they didn’t care. They could whisper all they want, but Remus didn’t want to be a ghost in this town anymore.  
  
They finished their meal and headed back to the Weasley cabin.  
  
They spent the rest of the afternoon playing chess and eating chocolate. Dinner was completely forgotten seeing none of them was hungry.  
  
Suddenly Remus jumped up. “I have to send a message to my parents, I told them I was just going out to return a book I borrowed from you. They must be wondering where I am.”  
  
Ron started laughing. “I think your Mum knows where you are. And considering she hasn’t been storming in here to get you home I bet she is fine with you being here.”  
  
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Remus didn’t follow.  
  
“She knows, Remus.” Ron merely said.  
  
“Knows what?” Remus looked confused.  
  
“About us,” he answered.  
  
“WHAT?” Remus looked absolutely shocked. “How?”  
  
“She notices things, she’s not stupid, you know. And I talked to her. She seemed to take it very well after a while.”  
  
“She knows? That’s so embarrassing.” Remus hid his face in his hands. “I’ve been making up stories and she _knew_?”   
  
Ron chuckled.   
  
“Does Dad know?” Remus looked horrified.  
  
“I don’t think so,” Ron answered. “You Mum told me not to say anything to him. So I guess you better talk to her when you get home.”  
  
“Well, what’s there to talk about, really?” Remus suddenly said. “It’s not like there’s anything to tell. It’s not going to be a problem anymore, is it?”  
  
“I’m sorry, Remus. I...”  
  
“Don’t say anything, Ron. It just makes it sadder.”   
  
“Maybe it’s a good thing your Mum knows,” Ron smiled carefully. “At least you have someone to talk to.”  
  
“Like I’d want to talk to her about this.” Remus shook his head.  
  
“I don’t think your Mum gets the credit she deserves. Give her a chance. She might surprise you.”  
  
“When did you get so wise?”   
  
“After I talked to your Mum,” Ron laughed.


	22. Chapter 22

Remus fell silent for a while after this. Ron went into the kitchen to make them some tea. He was just about to reach for two mugs in the cupboard when he felt two arms sneak around his waist.  
  
“Please don’t go, Ron.” a snivelling voice said behind him.  
  
Ron turned around and wiped the tears off Remus’ face. Seeing him like that made Ron start crying too. “I don’t want to, but I have no choice.”  
  
The two stood on the middle of the kitchen floor clutching to each other for dear life, neither wanted to let go.  
  
“Come,” Ron said finally pulling out of Remus’ hold, but still holding tightly on to his hand. He led them both upstairs to his bedroom. He pushed Remus down to the bed and lay down beside him. He threw his arms around him again and just held him in what seemed like forever.  
  
He could feel Remus crying soundlessly for a long time and Ron felt like his heart was ripped out of his body.  
  
“It’s going to be alright, Remus.” He tried to comfort him. “You’re going to be fine.” Ron swallowed that awkward lump in his throat God knows how many times. Truthfully he wanted to just what Remus did.  
  
“I know you have to go, Ron, but will I ever see you again? Or is there a law against that too?” Remus managed to speak finally.  
  
Ron gulped. He would see him again, but not in the way Remus thought or would like. Nor could Ron tell him that either. “I’m afraid I don’t think we will. Not like this at least.”  
  
“Why not? I don’t understand any of this, Ron.” Remus sobbed.  
  
“Neither do I, Remus. I hate this as much as you do.”  
  
“But you are so calm, and you know more than me.”  
  
“Trust me, Remus. You’ll be better off not knowing.”  
  
The boys didn’t speak for another hour. They just lay in Ron’s bed, holding each other tight, savouring the last moments they had together.  
  
Ron felt he had to say something important and meaningful so that Remus wouldn’t spend ages being miserable, but he couldn’t think of a single thing.  
  
He cleared his throat. “Remus?”   
  
The other boy only moaned.  
  
Ron sat up in the bed and started stroking Remus’ back. “I need you to promise me one more thing.”  
  
“What,” Ron heard a muffled voice.  
  
“I want you to try to forget me as soon as possible. That would be the best for the both of us.”  
  
“What?” Remus sat up. “I won’t be able to forget you, Ron. How could I? Are you going to forget about me? Did I mean so little to you?”  
  
“That’s not true at all. I will never forget you, Remus. But at least promise me that you try to move on with your life as soon as possible. Join the Order, be an amazing man and fight for your rights and your life. And when you find somebody else, don’t let that chance go away. You are an amazing person, Remus and you deserve the best. Don’t ever doubt that!”  
  
“I will never forget you, Ron. And I don’t think I want to meet someone else.” Remus sniffled.  
  
“Oh, yes you will!” Ron stated. “I bet you will even get married and have kids.”  
  
“Like someone would want me to be a Dad.” Remus huffed.  
  
“I know you will be an amazing Dad!” Ron said.  
  
Remus snorted. “Like someone would like a werewolf for a Dad.”   
  
“I don’t think you give people enough credit, Remus. I fell in love with you. Someone else will too!”  
  
“But I love you, Ron! I don’t want anybody else.”   
  
“I love you too, Remus!” Ron said and felt the tears return. They lay down on the bed again and just held each other.  
  
After a while of holding Remus tight he eventually stopped shaking and Ron could hear his breath get heavier and slower. Ron was glad that Remus had finally managed to get to sleep. He held him close for a while longer, then carefully pulled away and lay there looking at the boy. Ron would never have thought that a boy could look so beautiful. That a boy could make him feel this way. That he could love a boy so much. And he would never in a million years have thought that the boy would be Remus Lupin.   
  
The whole thing was so absurd, yet felt so right. Ron really didn’t want to leave. Most of all he wanted to spend these twenty years with Remus, but then what would happen? Both of their lives would be a total chaos. And what would happen to everyone around them?   
  
Ron knew that he didn’t have the strength to say goodbye to Remus again. Remus knew that he had to leave. Remus would understand, wouldn’t he? Ron picked up the note he had in his pocket. He had to do this.  
  
He bent down and kissed Remus softly on the lips. “I love you, Remus.” He whispered as a tear fell down from his eyes and onto Remus’ lips.  
  
Ron picked up the Time-Turner and clutched it hard in his hand. He swallowed a huge lump in his throat. He picked up his things and walked quietly downstairs. He turned around and took a last look at the cabin and sighed.   
  
It was time to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! It's actually ending here. The rest can be read in this series called Harry Potter (but since those books aren't from neither Ron nor Remus' POV, this episode isn't mentioned anywhere) ;) 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the story, even if it's one of my earlier works. Thank you for reading.


End file.
